2022 Fall Issue - 144

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PETER D. CAVALUZZI
Changing
Locations
How transit-rich destinations create
more choice, freedom, and convenience
in the post-pandemic city.
About a year into the pandemic, I
found myself often announcing during
my virtual meetings that I was " changing
locations. " I meant I was about to move
from my home to the office or some other
location to continue the business of the
day. What made this statement significant
is that it reflected the newfound ability
to move freely and conveniently between
locations as the tempo and pulse of my
day unfolded. What made this possible
was the benefit of living in Manhattan
coupled with amazing digital technology.
Together these factors provided the
choice and freedom to walk, bike, or take
a one-seat transit ride between my home
and office and not miss a beat. No longer
was I either in the office or working from
home. I was able to be anywhere and
do anything at any time because I could
change locations conveniently.
People want choices. The last few years
have shown we want greater control of
space and time. We desire vibrant, one-ofa-kind
places and experiences to choreograph
our day.
The pandemic taught us that we can
be anywhere as well as the importance
of being somewhere with high-quality
places to teach, collaborate, relax, and be
inspired. Easy and convenient access to
transit makes these places more desirable.
A recent Wall Street Journal poll shows
that overwhelmingly the biggest reason
people are reluctant to return to work is
because of their " dreaded " commute.
This dreaded journey almost always refers
to getting to work by car, but it can also
mean arduous, convoluted transit rides
that require changes between modes.
Choice and convenience are the most
precious commodities in mobility. They are
also the most powerful drivers of development
in cities. The " one-seat ride, " the
compact and walkable " 15-minute city, "
and the expansion of bike services and
various forms of micro-transit all make
changing locations simpler and more convenient
than a dreaded journey.
Vertically Integrated Mixed-Use
Transit Design
Peter D. Cavaluzzi, design principal and
board director, Perkins Eastman.
144
URBAN LAND
FALL 2022
The way to design for choice and convenience
in cities is to increase the development
in and around new or existing transit
destinations. Vertically integrated, mixeduse
transit design-or " VI " -is not only a
spatial design idea, but also a way to creatively
mix uses and programs so they are
in proximity and complement one another.
Perhaps the greatest example of VI is
Grand Central Terminal in New York City.
Because of its rich transit program, people
living in the city and the suburbs can
easily reach Grand Central with its adjacent
office, residential, hotel, and retail
space with a single train or subway ride.
Everything is designed to work together to
create an iconic place.
Vertical integration is the most effective
way to capitalize on investments in transportation
infrastructure. Design excellence
in urban architecture is achieved when
the focus is on reimagining transportation
infrastructure so that it becomes a part of
the address and fabric of the city.
In the case of Grand Central Terminal,
the Grand Hall, the passages, and Park
Avenue transcend their infrastructural purpose
to become a valuable address and
a grand living room for the city. As cities
continue to grow and evolve, an even
greater opportunity arises for vertically
integrated mixed-use transit design as the
key to unlock real estate value and promote
convenience and choice.
New VI projects, such as the Raleigh
Union Station Bus development (RUS Bus),
Charlotte Central on the site of the Charlotte
Transportation Center (CTC) across
from the Spectrum Center, and Civic Center
Station in Denver (shown on the cover),
emphasize convenience and choice with
a rich mix of uses and high-quality public
spaces that make them destinations in
their own right.
These new city-making designs in North
Carolina maximize the value of their transit
assets so these cities will remain vital and
attractive to the marketplace by providing
safe, convenient access to the heart of the
city. Just like Grand Central Terminal, these
new developments will ensure that cities
remain the preferred location because they
provide the freedom, flexibility, and convenience
to change locations.
When we are able to easily move about
and access a variety of high-quality,
purposefully designed spaces and experiences
that suit our activities and emotions,
we have the truest freedom, control,
and quality of life. That's why transit-rich
destinations are key to the future design of
the modern city. UL
PETER D. CAVALUZZI, FAIA, is design principal and board
director at Perkins Eastman, and a member of the ULI Transit-Oriented
Development Council.
2022 Fall Issue

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