Sure, we snickered last week when not a single LA-based team made the finalists for the Urban Land Institute's design competition to reimage the "cross-axial areas centered on East First Street and the Los Angeles River." Now one of our readers chides us for only showing the winning entries. Silly us.
Says our peeved reader: they had some great renderings-- if you think that a glass-towered Galleria (with the bandstand imported from Mexico conveniently removed)-- is a good idea for Mariachi Plaza in East LA. here's a design by an LA-based team (there were at least four submitted by La-based students). why not showcase designs that more accurately reflect an imaginative yet realistic plan for east 1st street?
"'cause your designs weren't good enough to make it" you might say? touche.
Touche indeed. But we're nothing if not rooting for the underdog. Even if the underdog has already been eliminated from the competition.
PDF available here.