Revitalizing the Heart of Van Nuys Boulevard Through Urban Design

Celebrating the graduates in my 2024 Senior Project class at Cal Poly Pomona Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Today we uplift this researcher:

Revitalizing the Heart of Van Nuys Boulevard Through Urban Design

By: Yanneth Echegaray (1st Place Poster Winner!)

Excerpt:

This study seeks to address the question, “What urban design strategies can be implemented to revitalize Van Nuys Boulevard into a vibrant and dynamic social space while maintaining its historical significance and enriching its Latino cultural identity?”

The proposed section of Van Nuys Blvd is between Vanowen and Oxnard St in the Van Nuys neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County in the State of California. Through strategic urban design interventions, Van Nuys Boulevard can reclaim its historical vibrancy and cultural significance, transforming it into a safe, inviting, and economically thriving boulevard that embraces its rich Latino heritage while providing a vibrant social space for all.

Revitalization Vision:

“To enhance the heart of Van Nuys Blvd, between Vanowen St and Oxnard St, it is important to create an inclusive urban design environment that focuses on its rich historical significance, embraces its Latino heritage, fosters economic growth for its local businesses, and encourages social connections. Through various design strategies, this study aims to revitalize this boulevard into a dynamic and vibrant public space for all.”

Specifications within this study will be Guidelines for redesigning store frontage to enhance the environment through cohesively connecting the public to the private realm. Redesigning the streetscape to capture vibrant and welcoming aspects, while prioritizing lighting and safety features, and embracing the rich and significant Latino culture that has organically been embedded on Van Nuys Boulevard – all of this is aimed at creating a suppositional nexus that will positively affect the economic development of the local businesses inhabiting the boulevard.