Downtown L.A. - Make It Urban

[J. Will]

Why does it not surprise me such a drive-thru exists in downtown Minneapolis? A downtown bank drive-thru is pointless. If you're in a car instead of on foot, presumably the start and/or end point of your drive is outside downtown (how many trips are from one place downtown to another place downtown?). So you can use a bank drive-thru somewhere outside downtown if you absolutely MUST use one.

This is the same reason gas stations have no place in a downtown (except in a VERY rare circumstance, like maybe Manhattan where cab drivers tend to stay in Manhattan as much as possible). If you're driving, the start and/or end of your trip is going to be outside of downtown in almost every instance. There are plenty of gas stations outside downtown. You can use one of those.

If someone does drive, and never leaves downtown, they likely drive so few miles they don't need to gas up more than once or twice a month. That once or twice a month they can drive just outside downtown and use a gas station there.

[Doady]

Mississauga recently was considering banning drive-throughs throughout the whole city, but I think they eventually implemented a lot of new rules and restrictions instead. Aside from air pollution, drives-thrus are causing a lot of serious problems because the line up can be so long that it interferes with pedestrians and backs up onto the main road and block traffic, and drive-throughs are mostly located along arterial roads. If a desolate, empty suburb experiences these kind of issues with drive-thrus, can you imagine what they would be like in a busy, crowded downtown with small lots?

[pesto]

LA banned drive-through shootings, but it didn't help.

http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2...arie_smith.php

But to get off of drive-throughs, which as noted don't actually exist in DT, the Dodgers have hired a new development guru which indicates they are dead serious about re-doing Chavez Ravine. From her history (Camden Yards, Fenway) she is focused on urban, walkable, community-oriented development. Since Dodger Stadium is so close to DT proper, this opens a tremendous set of possibilities for that area and adjacent areas, such as Chinatown and the new Union Station redevelopment project. Integrated transit from US would make a lot of sense, especially if there are going to be 10,000's of residents and visitors in addition to the 3M plus annual fans.

Food and entertainment are obvious; mid-rise hotels and condos? Broadcast facilities? Meeting and convention venues? Very interesting mix with big money and top talent in the mix.