Hollywood, California has been the center for the film and entertainment industry since the 1930′s due to its idyllic climate. From the first broadcasts in sunny Southern California, the city has scintillated as a place where talented actors/actresses, musicians, and producers alike have migrated for a chance at fame. In 2011, trends remain the same and Americans continue to travel, live, and visit Hollywood.
Architecturally, Hollywood has a lot to offer from the Pantages Theater to the Hollyhock House by Frank Lloyd Wright. Unfortunately, the city of Los Angeles’ growth patterns were dependent on the automobile. Therefore, landmarks and museums are scattered throughout a city of traffic and parking lot deserts. This development pattern is called urban sprawl. Urban sprawl is the problem and Eco-districts are the solution. Hollywood has been portrayed in somewhat of a glaring light by other Americans, yet the foundation of Hollywood evidences a different story than the over-populated and polluted conditions. The residents valued green streets, high end residences, and celebrated the street front. As development has continued to support progressive growth, Hollywood has isolated its great features through sprawl effects.
The questions are: how can architects, city planners, and the public re-develop Hollywood to restore it to a place where the environment can be as intimate of an experience as the entertainment? Can the busy streets become more walkable? How can mitigation strategies result in cleaner air? Can Hollywood tap into its natural resources to close the gap in its open systems? Can a new building type serve as an example for future development and public demand?
City planners are in the adoption phase of their Hollywood Re-Development Plan to renovate the district. City Planning is perhaps the most important step in the development process, it is definitely the beginning. Although without sustainable building developments to exemplify lifestyle benefits, the public demand will drop short of its potential. Planners have called for smarter re-development, but there are plenty of challenges in the field of development. Developers in Los Angeles are known to meet their own agenda first, economy second, and the environment (last if at all).
By eliminating urban sprawl, defining stricter building codes, adding more efficient mass transportation, the city of Hollywood has set the stage for more sustainable development. With the Hollywood Re-Development Plan’s published demand for mixed-use development, housing, a film and entertainment exhibition, retail, and night life along Hollywood Blvd, I propose a building implementation to incorporate the aforementioned program elements into an EcoDistrict inspired development. “EcoDistrict” in terms of linking residents to existing metro and bus lines, regenerating lost native habitat, reducing carbon emissions, prescribing new living strategies, implementing closed loop systems, energy collection, waste water treatment; as well as continuing to celebrate the history and culture of the entertainment industry in Hollywood. By replacing superfluous object buildings with functional and efficient building types, developers will understand that sustainable development is both desirable and economical.
I plan to work with the city of Hollywood to define future development. My thesis project will display the type of building development that I believe will meet the demands of the city, public, and environment. I hope that city planners will be able to re-produce my work to inspire stricter planning/regulation and to help them visualize a brighter more sustainable future for Hollywood.
Image Sources:
Hollywood Sign:
http://0.tqn.com/d/gocalifornia/1/0/G/D/3/P6150005-a.jpg
Pantages:
http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/520*335/Pantages-theater-7.jpg
Hollyhock:
http://allanellenberger.com/category/hollywood-buildings/
Filed under: Current Works in Progress, Thesis Preparatory Research 
