PROJECT HISTORY
The challenge
Over time, Los Angeles' steady population decline stalled the city's development and growth.
L.A. LIVE redevelopment
Bringing life to the L.A. sports and entertainment district
The solution
Our mixed-use design focuses on maintaining visitor traffic year-round and ground-level activation via a public plaza.
The impact
L.A. LIVE injected new energy and tax revenues into the city center, helping to revitalize the downtown area and spark additional developments.
70%
increase in civilian employment since 1990
60%
increase in population density between 2000-2018
20+ million
yearly visitors
The challenge
After Los Angeles’ downtown population experienced several years of population decrease, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and the City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning aimed to create a plan to revitalize the area to attract new residents, visitors and businesses and increase household wealth and employment rates. In 2000, we began developing a master plan to form the sports and entertainment district that surrounds the STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. .
The solution
Our 33-acre urban district master plan reimagines the downtown area’s southern edge. Our plan creates a unique day and nighttime district that conveys an urban, open-air character by incorporating major sports and entertainment facilities. With a 40,000-square-foot pedestrian-friendly public plaza, L.A. LIVE underscores the city’s reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic entertainment hubs. The open-air space serves as a central meeting spot and boasts state-of-the-art lighting, LED screens and signage displays.
In addition to providing planning and urban design for the entertainment district, we provided architecture and environmental graphic design for L.A. LIVE’s two mixed-use anchor buildings made up of retail, restaurant, office, museum and entertainment space, a 720-seat theater, a 1,000-room condominium hotel, and the West Coast broadcasting headquarters for ESPN sports television. Additionally, the design conveniently offers ground-level access from the plaza to a wide selection of shops, restaurants and leisure activities, creating a central space where visitors and residents can access everything they need in one location.
The impact
L.A. LIVE has successfully injected new energy and tax revenues into Los Angeles’ sports and entertainment district that have helped further revitalize the downtown area. With numerous development projects under construction or in the pipeline, young, talented residents and innovative industries will continue to keep the downtown district thriving.
The redevelopment project served as a catalyst for later area improvements, resulting in a 157% increase in household income since 2000 and a 238% increase in persons over 25 with a bachelor’s degree since 1990. The project has taken the area from one that is behind national and regional growth trends to one that is setting precedents led by a young, diversified population that has access to one of the world’s most dynamic entertainment hubs.
