urban designer
Principal of Suisman Urban Design and author of Los Angeles Boulevard: Eight X-rays of the Body Public
PROFILE
Doug Suisman
Guest
FROM Doug Suisman
Design and Architecture
Will Fear of Random Attack Affect the Design of Public Space? Random shootings in public places are causing Americans to grow increasingly anxious about dropping their kids off at school, going to the movies and other normal daily activities. What does this mean -- if anything -- for our public spaces? Do architecture, planning and technology have a role to play in accommodating these fears? We asked three people expert in urban planning and got the following answers.
Design and Architecture
CicLAvia and Stories from Wilshire Boulevard This weekend's CicLAvia connected non-motorists from downtown to Venice beach by clearing one side of the road of cars; and it was the ride's biggest ever, maybe because it offered an open ride to the beach. Seeing thousands of bikers of all ages pour into Venice – without the struggle to find parking -- begged the question: couldn't the road be opened like this every weekend, making those summer beach visits so much easier for many more people? CicLAvia is gearing up for its next ride, to be on Wilshire Boulevard from downtown to Fairfax in late June. And this one has an added layer: stories, about the buildings and urban design on that boulevard that took place in the time period being covered by this summer of architecture shows: Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A. Riders arriving at Windward Circle Photo courtesy Yo! Venice! Twenty-five years ago urban designer Doug Suisman wrote a pamphlet called "LA Boulevard: Eight X-Rays of the Body Public." He had moved to LA in 1983 and found the street life a little lacking. So he convened meetings about Wilshire, with urban planners and later designed the red bus logos, shelters and signage for the Metro Rapid on Wilshire. He says the buildings on Wilshire were not designed for walkers but were conceived to appeal to drivers. However, a new generation of Angelenos is changing the way the street is viewed and used. (The segment about Wilshire Boulevard was produced by Edward Lifson for CicLAvia, part of Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in LA. Original music is by Steve Wight. Other music by Al Bowlly. The June 23 CicLAvia opens Wilshire Boulevard from downtown to Fairfax Avenue. Listen to more Wilshire Boulevard stories, on DnA.)
Which Way, L.A.?
Stuck in Traffic, Is There Any Way Out? Since the end of World War II, public transit has been a hard sell in California. Ronald Reagan famously said that the automobile made us free. But don’t tell that to commuters stuck longer and longer in cars that are burning up gasoline at the rate of 4 dollars a gallon.
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Design and Architecture
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”