Six leading architecture, landscape and urban design firms shared creative ways to meet the challenges and opportunities posed by growing electric vehicle use in L.A. (Image: Courtesy of Woods Bagot.)

How should Los Angeles prepare for streets dominated by electric vehicles?

What will the end of gas-powered vehicles mean for a city that’s renowned (and maligned) for its car culture and home to 550 gas stations? Leading design firms from around the world share some ideas at a symposium hosted by USC Dornsife’s 3rd LA project. [1½ min read]

ByJim Key February 5, 2021

The days of the internal combustion engine appear to be numbered, particularly in California. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom mandated that by 2035, all new cars and light trucks sold in the state must be emission-free.

Auto-makers are already responding.

General Motors recently announced it would phase out petroleum-powered cars entirely by then. Ford, Honda and other auto giants may soon follow, but regardless, it’s increasingly clear that before the first half of this century is over, the dominant — if not exclusive — means of transportation will be electric-powered vehicles.

What will this mean for Los Angeles, a city renowned for its car culture and home to about 550 gas stations but relatively few charging stations?

Six of the world’s leading architecture, landscape and urban design firms recently shared their creative proposals, including eye-popping renderings, to address the challenges and opportunities posed by the projected growth of electric vehicle use in L.A. in a recent symposium.

Dubbed “Pump to Plug,” the virtual event was hosted by the 3rd LA project at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and moderated by Christopher Hawthorne, 3rd LA director and chief design officer for the city of Los Angeles.

“Some of the issues that need to be addressed are: Where will people charge their cars? What happens to the gas station sites? And what happens at the Port of Los Angeles, where a shift to electrified trucking is so central to Mayor Garcetti’s efforts to green the port?” said Hawthorne. “I was very impressed by the proposals to tackle these challenges in our Pump to Plug symposium.”

About the Event

Presenting firms included Abalos + Sentkiewicz headquartered in Madrid, Inaba Williams Architects based in Los Angeles, MOS Architects of New York City, Perkins&Will in L.A., Spiegel Aihara Workshop stationed in San Francisco, and Woods Bagot of Australia.

The event was co-sponsored by the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Audi, and Normal Now sponsored by Electrify America.

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