Spencer Final Poster - RESEDA Wash Bike & Walking Path

months after the class ended, s project, I kept thinking of Los Angeles. Topics like this e it is a daily reminder. For car culture, and suburbia can me issues that come up daily. a project that can be applied hoods and cities. ive, it is car culture!! I hardly s or walking unless there is a anyone bikes or walks by place. In my neighborhood, I person on a bicycle, and for seen two. Where I live, it is at it is a single family zone businesses and apartments. tores, restaurants, groceries, ops, and home improvement uter edge of the valley. Very Throughout the months, I more about the lack of “third neighborhood and, most

The third place is known as a social surrounding that is separated from the two usual social environments. The common place for “first place” is the home, and “second place” is the workplace. In the book Great Good Place (1989), Ray Oldenburg presents that third places are essential for civic engagement, civil society, democracy, and establishing feelings of a sense of place. For example, third places include parks, public spaces, public libraries, cafes, bookstores, clubs, and churches.

Throughout the valley, there are concrete channels that all flow towards the LA River and the LA River flows southwards towards Long Beach, California. My proposal is for the water wash to be used when it is not raining. Currently, it only gets "used" when it rains, and the wash just sits there during the other times of the year, barren of all life. Right now, some signs say, "No trespassing. This is government property. You will get fined, you will go to jail", etc. I have crossed by this area multiple times and considered how it would be a great space to be a Community Bike & Walking Path. A community walk-through/bike space would be a meaningful addition to the area and serve as a path connecting two neighborhoods.

The two neighborhoods are cut in half by the train tracks, and a concrete wash goes through. If we can implement this space for the public and retrofit it, it can be used for walking and bicycling. From my house to the other side of the train tracks, it takes about an hour and a half to get across, going around. If there were a Community Bike & Walking Path, it would cut down the walking to 45 minutes. This zone would not only benefit the two neighborhoods, but it would also be a great tool to funnel people in and out of the even greater surrounding area.

The locals and the houseless population are already using this space. As I was walking there, for this project, I came across a person with a bicycle walking right through and a homeless man living next to the train tracks.

In the future, I would also like to open the train track zone that runs perpendicularly to the wash for public use. But for this project, I am solely focusing on the concrete wash that is gated off and not being used. This space has much potential to be more than a “seasonal river wash.” As humans, we love watching nature do its thing, like kids watching the leaves go down the river, etc.

For the non wet seasons of the year, the wash can be used by people and animals for walking and cycling. During the research portion of this project, this zone was not covered online and was barely shown on maps and public map websites. Some zones of this concrete wash are zoned for single family homes. There were two instances where homes were using these spaces meanwhile, there was a sign that said this is city property?? The valley already lacks public spaces and parks. We need areas like Community Bike & Walking Path to connect communities and create a path for more shared spaces.

PROBLEM + SOLUTION

CRITICAL ANALYSIS THROUGH HISTORY

The Northridge/ Reseda today was inhabited by the Native American Gabrielino (Tongva people) around 2,000 years ago. They developed a community around an” oasis, near the intersection of Parthenia and Reseda” (Alam, 2017, p.4). After the San Fernando Valley was named after the Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana in 1797, the valley was used for “cattle ranching and later developed into agricultural lands with wheat fields, citrus orchards, and olive groves” (Alam, 2017, p.4). Some of the reminisce are still seen today by orange trees that sprawl across all neighborhoods. The arrival of the railroads and global wheat compassion grew; it caused the redevelopment of the large ranches into small farms. This was the beginning of the development of the San Fernando Valley. Van Nuys/ San Fernando started experiencing population growth, and Northridge was the center of agricultural production. Around the railroad depot, a small community was established in 1919 and transported locally grown wheat and other crops.

noticed this geographically diverse valley. The enormous farmlands were transformed into estates and housing. This created a new suburban era for North Los Angeles (Alam, 2017, p.4). Northridge experienced another suburban housing boom post World War II; most of these housing and buildings built between 1940 and 1960 are still standing. Soon after, the development of “arterial streets leading to freeways created easy commutes that turned this scenic area into an ideal suburban area to live the American Dream” (Alam, 2017, p.4).

walking around makes us feel happier. This project was just one tiny sliver of a big puzzle piece. Nature creates spaces like these naturally through rain and soil. Rivers are created by dirt, and rocks move around to create a natural flowing system. With our current system, we have right now it does not reflect nature. It prohibits growth, and we need change reflecting our human behavior and needs.

The valleys desperately need more public space, walkable streets, and neighborhoods. The Valley is the classic suburban city where human needs were not pre planned in the communities. The Valley's history is seen through the fruit trees, the rolling hill, and, later on, the freeways. But "history" stopped at freeways and did not continue to evolve. We still need to create more arteries that lead to parks, grocery stores, drugstores, hobby shops, museums, music halls, concert venues, cultural sites, and things that give life to a city.

Another population growth happened after the post-war era, as the entertainment industry

Just straight housing does not communicate visually and physically a loving space. When we see people in parks, people walking, and places that feel like they are getting invested in just

ProjectSite

RESEDA WASH

Photography

MapsandHistory

CURRENT AND PAST MAPS

The trees in the '80s and '90s were fuller. By mid 2000, the trees were getting cut down. You can even see that on the map.

CURRENTLY

The length of the path is 2,626 ft.

1950'S MAP

The Reseda Wash was added to the maps after to illustrate the location through the times.

On the 1950's map, the current freeways were added to show the layout of the valley.

WHERE IS THE RESEDA WASH

1970'S (1972) MAP

ProjectSite

SECTIONOF PHASE2

This section faces northeast. The blue is the bike lanes. The green is the walking path going in both directions The map on the right side is for the path goers.

SECTIONOF PHASE3

This section faces north. The colors mean the same thing. The water drain on the right side is not added there from the beginning

DIAGRAMS OF THE LOCATION

03.

SECTIONOF PHASE2THEENTERANCE

This section faces north

The colors mean the same thing. The grand arch signifies the opening, physically and visually (without reading).

As well as the bench to also signify physically and visually an inviting space

These signifiers are added consciously as a visual cue So people do not need to question their allowability to be there. More often than not, public space is not clearly displayed and is often not inviting

SECTIONOF PHASE2

This section faces northeast. The colors mean the same thing

02.

SECTIONOF PHASE3

This section faces north. The colors mean the same thing

DIAGRAMS OF THE BEFORE & AFTER

SECTIONOF PHASE1

This section faces north. The colors mean the same thing

SECTIONOF PHASE1

This section faces north east. The colors mean the same thing

SECTIONOF PHASE4

This section faces north. The colors mean the same thing

SECTIONOF PHASE4

This section faces north. The colors mean the same thing

THE PHASE OF THE PROJECT

SECTIONOF PHASE4

This section faces north. The colors mean the same thing.

Alam, S. (2017). CSUN & Reseda: One Great Street, 4 6. https://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/URBS%20698%20Final%20Project.pdf

Oldenburg, R. (1999). The Great Good Place: Cafés, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of a community Marlowe; Distributed by Publishers Group West.