methodology
sites are selected for buildable-land aggregation (5 or more contiguous acres of vacant land, parking, or low-value structures), transit-richness (TPA, TOC Tier 3+, or within 1/2 mile of Metro rail or BRT), real-world feasibility (public ownership, Opportunity Zone, entitlement activity), and resolvable through-traffic. the key finding: transit-rich, large, and available are anti-correlated in LA. clean parcels often remain in public hands, Metro park-and-ride areas, or pre-LRT industrial zones.
through-traffic
rwt tower towns cap internal vehicle speed at 15 mph. the first design decision at every site is the crossing condition: A = bounded only (arterials at perimeter, no tunneling needed); B = single arterial bisects (cut-and-cover tunnel, portals outside outer ring); C = intersection inside (stacked tunnel); D = freeway boundary (setback buffer, no cap); E = freeway crosses (lid cap). van nuys is cat A or B depending on parcel configuration; pacoima is cat A; vermont/athens is cat B + D.
n/k/rot adaptation
n (radial divisions) matches the arterial-direction count times 4. four boundary arterials at 90 degrees produce n=8. k (subdivision depth) scales with site acreage: 5-15 acres uses k=2; 15-50 acres uses k=2-3, giving totalReplications(8,2)=72 and totalReplications(8,3)=584 cells. rot (angular orientation) aligns the primary diameter chord with the dominant corridor: Van Nuys Blvd at 305 degrees, San Fernando Rd at 90 degrees, Vermont Ave at 0 degrees.
map reading
the updated maps are paired plates rather than raw road-network exports. read them in order: first use the aerial context to understand current blocks, streets, edges, and open land; then use the schematic plate to distinguish arterial corridor, transit access, RWT rings, tunnel zone, and freeway boundary.
