Highland Park Transit Village
Los Angeles, California

The City of Los Angeles recognized the unique opportunity for Transit Oriented Development of three City owned parking lots adjacent to the Highland Park Metro Gold Line station, within the Commercial core of the historic Highland Park community. Working with the developer, M2A developed a unique scheme for each contiguous site that reflects the historic scale and character of the community while adding 101 units of affordable rental and for sale residences. The design of each parcel is different in recognition of its unique context, from background infill to urban townhouses and mixed use apartment structures. The streetscape is animated with neighborhood serving commercial uses, or residential courtyards and front porches to encourage the continued use of the streets that define the neighborhood. The central site which accommodates 62 Universally Accessible rental units is designed to minimize the impact of its scale, with 2 story elements along the street and the larger masses mid-block at the alley. The building is further articulated as 2 architecturally different styles and structures. Design studies also included the option of incorporating an adjacent street to create a civic open space. Subterranean parking fully provides for the new uses in addition to replacing the spaces on the existing surface lots.