Description

The Bergamot Area Plan was initiated to transition former industrial land and the area that includes the Bergamot Art Center, adjacent EXPO light rail station, the Bergamot Transit Village, and the Mixed-Use Creative District in the city of Santa Monica, into a walkable, vibrant, and sustainable transit-oriented neighborhood.

Part of a multidisciplinary team, CD+A was responsible for the design of streetscape and pedestrian improvement concepts and focused on creating new and improved pedestrian and bicycle linkages, and redesigning area streets and public open spaces to support pedestrians and transit ridership. This effort was in response to transportation network fragmentation caused by auto-dominated streets and aimed to provide design access improvements and public open spaces in the station area.

Because a significant portion of the street network is designated to be shared streets without curbs, CD+A worked with City staff to establish a design and policy approach for the shared streets that will allow for the mixing of various users in a slow speed and flexible environment. This will allow the streets to function as part of the open space network and support a dynamic social and civic environment for the creative industry workforce, new residents, and neighborhood visitors.

CD+A also developed green stormwater infrastructure and green street design concepts to enhance sustainability and contribute aesthetic benefits to the character of the station area and area streetscapes.