Janet Marie Smith, famous for helping plan Camden Yards in Baltimore, discusses how Dodger Stadium's 'new front door' will optimize transit and pedestrian access while preserving the field's historic character and sweeping 'postcard views.'

Following the recent announcement by Guggenheim Baseball Management of their $100 million investment to renovate and upgrade Dodger Stadium, all-star stadium veteran Janet Marie Smith joined TPR to talk about the planned renovations and opine on the role of sports stadiums in urban place making, and her experience working on notable ballparks and stadiums across the country—including the famed Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Dodger Stadium's "new front door" will optimize transit and pedestrian access to the park while preserving the field's historic character and sweeping "postcard views." Smith reveals that the planned upgrade aims to "connect the other entrance plazas at the Top of the Park, Reserve, Loge and Field levels, giving fans the ability to move freely up, around, and through the park in a dynamic way. For Dodger Stadium, carved into the hillside of Chavez Ravine—this additional vertical circulation means a major shift in the way fans can use the venue."
Read the full interview at The Planning Report.
Additional coverage of the renovations is available from the Los Angeles Times and Curbed LA.
FULL STORY: Janet Marie Smith on Dodger Stadium as Civic Space with a New Front Door

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