Re-Urbanizing Downtown Los Angeles: Micro Housing - Densifying the City's Core

Abstract

As people start to move back from the suburbs to urban city centers, downtowns are beginning to become more dense and more expensive to live in. This growing density requires a responsible response by designers and cities to provide a livable and affordable housing option for a new generation of city dwellers. Los Angeles is a city facing this change, and its downtown desires to shed its stigma of being an uninhabitable urban wasteland outside of the nine to five work day. This thesis proposes micro housing, sub-300 square foot dwellings, as a mid-income housing solution for young professionals that responds to the needs of its residents, as well as the larger context of the city.