John Marston

About This Talk

John Marston explores urban design decisions and opportunities in the local community using the ideas shared by James Kunstler and Ellen Dunham-Jones.

This view of Manhattan Beach Pier from the north shows probably the best urban design feature of the city – the pedestrian path (The Strand) and the bike path closer to the ocean. No cars between the homes and ocean.
Hundreds of people are attracted to the beach to watch and play beach volleyball. The game being watched was part of the Manhattan Beach Open Tournament.
Many people had chosen to cycle to the event and bikes have been attached to most of the available railings. The bottom two parking lots on Manhattan Beach Boulevard have been closed to traffic for the duration of the event. Beach volleyball spectators can be seen behind the blue railings of the two upper parking lots (center left and right).
This shows the view from one of the upper parking lots and in the distance the pier. This may be the best viewpoint in the city. No seating or hospitality is available and the most valuable space in the city is devoted to a parking lot.
Looking north from the parking lot another parking lot can be seen and the only restaurant in the city with a ocean view (Beaches Restaurant) can be seen to the right of the picture. The picture also shows the width of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and the additional space devoted to parking and the absence of any public seating. Between the four parking lots and the road the prime location in the city is devoted to parking.
Picture of the parking lot showing the cars enjoying the ocean view.
Another picture that shows the size of the parking lot and the amount of empty space.
In contrast this view of Lake Geneva from the French town of Yvoire has a less attractive view.
The view is from the pier outside this restaurant. The restaurant has an upper and lower level devoted to dining, an amazing display of geraniums and the parking is located about 10 minutes walk away.
This shows that seating has been provided, cars can access the restaurant, but parking is very limited. Manhattan Beach has evolved in such away that car parking close to the ocean has been given greater priority that the chance to enjoy the view of the ocean over food. A better use of the space would be to convert the space into dining and park and require people to park two or three blocks further inland. This would create some of the most attractive space in the South Bay and reduce much of the downtown traffic. The street cafe that is so common and enjoyed by so many around the world has been restricted or prevented by the need for parking. Despite this people have found ways to enjoy a street cafe like experience.
These people are enjoying an ice cream as they watch the traffic.
This pub has maximized the use of the available space and has people waiting for a table as they look at all the parked cars.
This Starbucks always has people sat on the window ledges watching the traffic and people walk by. Imagine what the area would be like if the cafes and restaurants could expand into the street. If the parking could be moved or people arrived by means other than cars.
Is the provision of parking so important that the community could not agree to remove cars on Manhattan Beach Boulevard from the intersection with Valley to the ocean. The other subject that was discussed was what is considered the ugliest road in Manhattan Beach – the six lane Sepuleveda Boulevard that transports thousands of people from south of the city to the north. The road divides the community by acting as a barrier between the parts of town, inhibits walking and biking and is the home to many empty retail and office buildings.
An example of city that worked to deal with the negative impact of being dissected by a major road is Boston. The freeway in Boston was buried beneath the ground and the city streets turned to recreational use. If Sepulveda could be buried from just north of Rosecrans to just south of Artesia the massive piece of land could be reclaimed and be used for other activities. Some of the land could be sold to develop mixed use buildings with retail, office and residential space and this would offset the cost of burying the road. The area could become an area that attracts people rather than repels them and for the commuters they could reduce their commute time.
This New York street just south of the site of the World Trade Center has three paths, one for cars, one for bikes and a third for pedestrians.
In addition it has space for parks.

About John Marston

John has been a resident of Manhattan Beach since 1994 and hopes that the ongoing retrofit in Manhattan Beach improves rather than degrades the community.