Planetizen is offering for free a download of Los Angeles' original 1970's-ish City Center plan. As you may or may not know, or may not care to care to know, in the swinging drug fueled days that were the late 60's- early 70's, Los Angeles' City Planners and the groovy members of the City Council were all into creating a futuristic LA based on centers, cores and nodes and groovy, free love in the parks. The "Cores" would be where the suits and squares would go to work and would be connected to the nodes by high-speed mass transit. Cars and people would never meet, as ground level would allow for transit to flow through and people would walk around the core on sky paths, enjoying the sun (Note: pre-cancer causing sun). The plan was designed to accommodate a future population of 5 million people, or a metro population of 11 million.
One of the more ganja induced plans was for drive through "automarts" where planners envisioned that commuters would weave their car through a car wash looking structure to pick up groceries, do dry cleaning, pick up liquor and stamps, and deposit their paychecks. "...existing commercial strip zoning on major streets will be converted to automobile-oriented commercial facilities, intended to serve both the traveler and the local residents. These will be designed to provide efficient drive-in services, making (sic) use of various technological innovations so as to maximize their function efficiency and minimize parking needs. Figure 18 illustrates a facility of this type." If only.
· Back To The Future: The 1970 Los Angeles 'Centers' Concept Plan [Planetizen]
