For cities battling traffic congestion and long commutes, one solution may be in the increased focus on mixed-use and transit-oriented developments that keep cars off the road and put home and work closer together.
These mixed-use developments can come in varying sizes to meet local needs.
In Los Angeles, Studio 111's 2110 Bay St. is an adaptive, 145K SF reuse project. It is being built in the up-and-coming Arts District.
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Metropolis LA takes mixed-use to a much grander scale. The project is heralding the opening of its first residential tower on Thursday with a VIP grand opening party.
Greenland USA's $1B Metropolis is the one of the largest mixed-use developments in the Western U.S. and has three residential towers.
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"Mixing uses can help take some of the pressure off of congested cities," KTGY Architecture + Planning principal David Senden said. "If we can reduce the number of auto trips because people are walking or biking, that is a win-win. Residents have a better quality of life, and cars come off the roads."
LA has the most congested roads in the nation. Reducing car trips by using ride-sharing and building projects near transit are among solutions experts suggest.
Transportation is a key component of any mixed-use development, according to Senden.
“Mixed-use development has a tremendous impact on quality of life,” Seritage Growth Properties Senior Vice President Kacy Keys said.
Seritage's mixed-use projects include converting the 1947 historic Sears store at 302 Colorado Blvd., near the Expo Line in Santa Monica, into a proposed mixed-use creative office and retail space.
Seritage also owns the more than 50K SF Capitola Mall in Santa Cruz, the more than 83K SF Westfield UTC in San Diego, the more than 115K SF Overlake Plaza in Redmond, Washington, and Alderwood, a more than 90K SF property in Lynnwood, Washington.
“We are focused on bringing a variety of uses to a number of our properties and believe firmly that developments of this kind have the power to make communities more sustainable and livable,” Keys said.
Hear more from Senden, Keys and other multifamily experts at the Bisnow Big West Coast Multifamily Event at 7:30 a.m. July 20 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
CORRECTION, JULY 14, 10:30 A.M. PT: The story has been updated to reflect that Metropolis LA is one of the largest developments in the Western U.S., not the largest on the West Coast.
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