about the project
Through lectures, studio problems, research projects, and discussion, students focused on developing urban form along a proposed passenger rail line in downtown Sacramento—driven by social, political ecological, and environmental dynamics. A landscape architecture design studio led by UC Davis Lecturer and Design Professional Kimberly Garza, students were asked to produce innovative urban frameworks that support richer urban experiences in the built environment. Throughout the intensive 10-weeks design studio, students assessed constraints and opportunities, analyze TOD and neighborhood revitalization benefits, and developed concepts for the Midtown Station and its associated bike and pedestrian connectivity. The studio built on current efforts by ACE and confronted the challenges posed by: (1) an auto dominated landscape that makes it difficult for alternative forms of transportation to co-exist, (2) vacant and underutilized sites that weave along the corridor, and (3) a lack of public gathering spaces and other amenities to serve adjacent neighborhoods.
