Tropico TOD area plan

A foundational component of the South Glendale Community Plan, the Tropico Center Plan is a neighborhood-level policy and planning study of the Tropico district, which recommends design guidelines, zoning designations and parking standards for the Tropico neighborhood surrounding Glendale’s Metrolink Station and Transit Center.

The Tropico transit-oriented district (TOD) located in the southwestern portion of Glendale is home to Glendale’s Metrolink Station, Cerritos Elementary School, and Glendale Memorial Hospital. It consists of an eclectic mix of land uses in a variety of building types, including single-family houses, light industrial businesses, multi-family buildings, and uses that support the hospital. This area is designated as a regional transit priority area with an emphasis on multi-modal connectivity and pedestrian-friendly residential development.

As the look, feel, and function of Tropico changes, its industrial past, transit-rich present, and future as a center for jobs and housing will come together to create a unique sense of place. Tropico’s transportation network will be enhanced to create a transit-oriented district that is well connected via rail, bus, streetcar, auto, bicycle and pedestrian routes to employment and housing opportunities within Glendale and the Southern California region. Central Avenue and Los Feliz Boulevard provide access to nearby employment /housing, while Brand Boulevard will accommodate a streetcar connecting Tropico to Downtown Glendale, Downtown Burbank, Bob Hope Airport and the proposed High Speed Rail Station. New buildings, up to 5-stories in height, will face tree-lined sidewalks with a variety of uses that generate an inviting, active, pedestrian-friendly multi-modal environment. Gateways at Los Feliz Road and Brand Boulevard will let motorists, cyclists and transit riders know they have arrived in Glendale.

As Principal Urban Designer at the City of Glendale, Alan Loomis was the primary author of TOD Planning Grant and Team Leader for the Tropico Station Plan.

Awards:

2014 APA / Los Angeles , Public Outreach Award of Merit [for Tropico Station TOD Outreach]

2012 Metro Transit Oriented Development Planning Grant, Round 2 [$225,000 Award for Tropico Station TOD Plan]

Tropico Station Aerial illustrating Glendale Streetcar Terminus | rendering by CityWorks Design

Tropico Station area plan

Outreach events feature Food Trucks

Community outreach

Interactive planning boards

Screening of Noir classic “Double Indemnity” at Glendale Train Station, where the film’s murder scene takes place.

Tropico TOD birdseye as drawn by CityWorks Design

Map of the Tropico TOD Center