Los Angeles Union Station as a Sustainable Development Project
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I. Development description of rebuilding the Union Station in Los Angeles
Located strategically in Northeastern of Downtown Los Angeles, the Union Station celebrated its 75th anniversary this year since it began operations. Owned by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a private governing body, this public facility serves approximately 1.643 million passengers a year. Significant dates of this station include beginning official operation in 1939, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and became part of the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1972 (Maltzan, 2011). In September 17, 2014 the master vision of upgrading this facility was revealed. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) revealed the final project’s master plan that seek to transform this historic station into a more modern facility in the contemporary environment that need sustainability.
II. Purpose of rebuilding
The Union Station is due for major innovation to build a modern super transportation station. Although several projects including New transit station on El Monte Busway, Southern California Regional Interconnect Project, and Former Run-Through Tracks Project have been proposed before and fail to receive attention from legislators, the approved 2014 master plan was developed for California High-Speed Rail project. This project seeks to transform the Union Station into a major hub of transportation with new rail system and new railway station infrastructure. The Metro Authority indicated that the California High-Speed Rail system project will improve rail transportation and passengers will be able to travel from this station to Transbay Terminal in San Francisco in less than three hours(Chester and Horvath, 2010). As the master plan of the new station reveal, the project will feature aerial structures that will be built above the existing platform and underground structures. Apart from improving transportation, increasing convenience and serving more passengers, this project aims to utilize resource in order to enhance sustainability in the transport sector in California. In America, California is the most populous State, with most polluted cities from motor vehicles, port operations and various industries; any sustainable transportation project is welcome.
III. Demographic Snapshot of the Los Angeles
The neighborhood is an important stakeholder and a major consideration during a major infrastructure development. The proposed station will have numerous activities going on during building. During the process of rebuilding this station, it is expected to give inconveniences to the Los Angeles residents and neighboring residents who use this station on their daily activities. Although the development is aimed at improving transportation, the public has to bear the cost of inconvenience that will be caused during rebuilding the Union Station.
a. Description of the population in Los Angeles city
The city of Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and second-most populous city in USA after New York. Located South of California, the city’s approximately 4 million residents are referred as Angelons because they represent the leading city with ethnically diverse population. Los Angeles county is popular because it is the focal entertainment and tourist point of the popular Long Beach attracting a total of 7, 544.6 people living in one square mile and 1, 413,995 housing unit with a median population age of 34.1 years (USCB, 2013). The racial composition in this city comprise of dominant White, Black American, Hispanic and Asian respectively. It is a home to people from 140 countries speaking more than 200 distinct languages. Interestingly, Los Angeles has the second largest Jews population in the U.S.
b. Economic characteristics
In terms of economic activities, Los Angeles is described as a global city accommodating local and international businesses. The population in this city generates its revenue from entertainment, media, fashion, culture, science, technology, sports, and educational research in pharmaceutical industry and medicine. LA ranks 6th in the Global Cities Index (GCI). It also ranks 9th in the Global Economic Power Index (GEPI). These two economic metrics makes it a dependable engine of American economy. The popular world renowned movie and TV production Hollywood is here making the city a leader in motion picture creation (Maltzan, 2011). Video products through their advertisement and marketing power have given the city significant revenue. Other notable revenue resources in this location include: petroleum, tourism due to the popular Long Beach, and apparels. Long beach is the home of the 5th busiest port in the world (USCB, 2013). Telecommunication, law, finance, healthcare and transportation form the other significant industries in this region. With its economic descriptions, the populations in this city need an effective and convenient transport system. If the Union Station’s current master plan under the California High Speed Rail project is going to be adopted, it promises great improvement in a sustainable transportation system that will not look like a burden but transport companion.
c) Social character
Los Angeles is a global city with cross to 200 global tribes living here. It is a multicultural hub that accommodates different cultures some of them integrated while others are still pure. These tribes have different social processes and LA cannot be described with one particular culture. The multiple cultures, the landscape, the modern nature of the city, the weather, the economic power, which bring opportunities and political reality, attract people to live in this city. Apart from economic opportunities, personal relationships also contribute to social status of Los Angeles residents. Couples living here and those who have moved here confess that this city has everything a modern family need. Everything is here, even if someone stayed here for their entire lives and without feeling the urge to move outside the city (Maltzan, 2011). Even the homeowner vacancy rate is approximated at 2.1% indicating the demand in housing and accommodation in this region. The high demand for housing and homeownership show that Los Angeles would accommodate more families who are craving to live here.
IV) Environmental impact rebuilding Union Station
Before analyzing the potential environmental concerns with the proposed rebuilding of Union Station, Los Angeles has for a long time suffered from air poisoning. This city was among various cities in America that led to the development of the Clean Air Act that try to regulate the amount of air poisoning allowed in any city (Gerard and Lave, 2005). Since LA is a populous city with numerous activities going on at the same time, numerous automotives including personal vehicles, transit vehicles, public transport vehicles, industry motor vehicles such as lifting machines, airport and port operations inevitably produce exhaust, which accumulates and become lethal to the air. Unlike other cities that experience frequent rainfalls, this region receives approximately 380mm rainfall each year. This rainfall is not significant in washing the smog that build in this city for a lengthy time of the year due to carbon emissions. Through the Clean Air Act regulations and California’s initiative in trying to reduce carbon emission, efforts are being made in quick succession to reduce the number of carbon emission vehicles and machines from operation Gerard and Lave, 2005. Some of the actions being taken to restore clean air include using technological vehicles such as electric vehicles, hybrid cars, high tech mass transit systems and other initiatives as the current project of building a greener and sustainable Union Station. With these environmental concerns, the proposed rebuilding of the Union Station in Los Angeles is one of the key projects aiming at enhancing clean air. However, this project has also attracted criticism for its cost effectiveness in terms of environmental cycle assessment. Critics point out that, building the station will have direct and indirect effects on the environment. Complex structures have indirect emission and building a complex station will have direct effects for pose as a health hazard because of the material use effect. The complex materials and supplies that will be used in this construction require shipping and manufacturing. These processes increase emissions contrary to one of the goals of the project. However, the environmental life cycles analysis of the impact of this project indicates that rebuilding the Union Station as proposed is cost-effective in terms of economy and environmental friendliness (Chester and Horvath, 2010).
V. Overall impacts of the development on the neighborhood
Los Angeles is already developed with an effective and reliable transportation system. However, this city continues to become popular for short term and long terms visits. The economic and infrastructure development in this city continue to grow hence attracting more local and international investment. Although the city is already overpopulated, it continues to attract more activities. In addition to the issue of reducing carbon emissions, Angelons will benefit from the Union Station’s upgrade in terms of convenient travel in long distances while increasing economic opportunities associated with the transportation.
a) Evidence for tax revenue
The newly proposed station plan was developed on the call of high speed rail system. Definitely, the objective of this rail system is to increase efficiency hence increasing the economic and social life for Los Angeles residents and its neighbors. In terms of tourist gain, the high speed rail system that will travel over long distance will be cheaper than air travel and faster than bus or vehicle travel(Chester and Horvath, 2010).Potential visitors will consider that it is cost-effective and will always prefer this tourist spot as compared to any other place.
b). Evidence for safety
The proposed modern architectural Union Station attracts criticism for various safety issues. For example, the speed rail system will encourage crime activities including terrorism threat because passengers with ill motives will find easy and quick access to Los Angeles. Since this city is an economic and entertainment hub in the Western Hemisphere, it is more vulnerable to terrorism and creating a system for efficient travel will also encourage this crime (Hakim, 2009). Nevertheless, the Department of Homeland Security has a mandate to screen all long distance travelers including when they are on board. Nevertheless, from the safety assessment report, this project is cost effective and has no threat to the public.
References
Chester, M. and Horvath, A. (2010).Life-Cycle Environmental Assessment of California High Speed Rail.Access.No. 37. Retrieved on October 1, 2014 from http://www.uctc.net/access/37/access37_assessing_hsr.pdf
Gerard, D. and Lave, L.B. (2005). Implementating technology-forcing policies: The 1970 Clean Air Act Amendments and the introduction of advanced automotive emissions controls in the United States. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 72 (7): 761-778.
Hakim, S. (2009).Safeguarding Homeland Security. Dordrecht: Springer.
Maltzan, M. (2011).No More Play: Conversations on Urban Speculation in Los Angeles and Beyond. HatjeCantz. University of Southern California. Retrieved on October 1, 2014 from http://placesjournal.org/article/no-more-play//
United States Census Bureau (2013).Los Angeles (City), California State & County QuickFacts. Retrieved on October 1, 2014 from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0644000.html
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