Louisville Transporation Center : a place of transition : creating an urban center of social interaction

TODAY THE LOUISVILLE AREA IS BLESSED WITH A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK THAT OFFERS QUICK, EASY ACCESS TO NEARLY EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE NATION - WITH A CHOICE OF WAYS TO GET THERE. FREIGHT TRAVELS BY AIR, HIGHWAY, RAIL AND RIVER, AND LOUISVILLE OFFERS MULTIPLE WAYS TO TRANSFER FREIGHT FROM ONE MODE TO ANOTHER.PASSENGERS CAN TRAVEL BY AIR, BUS, OR CAR BUT CAN TAKE ONLY NOSTALGIC RIDES BY RIVER OR RAIL. WHILE LOUISVILLE'S LAST REGULAR PASSENGER TRAIN DISAPPEARED IN THE 1970'S, THE KENTUCKY RAILWAY MUSEUM OFFERS OCCASIONAL STEAM-POWERED TRAIN EXCURSIONS.LOUISVILLE'S STREETS AND HIGHWAYS WERE DESIGNED WITH DIRECT TRANSPORTATION IN MIND, AND THE PATTERN SERVES WELL TO THIS DAY. THE ROADS RADIATE FROM THE THREE HIGHWAY BRIDGES ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER, FANNING OUT THROUGH THE SUBURBS TO NEARBY TOWNS.THE TIME HAS COME TO LINK THESE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND BRING THE RAIL TRAVEL WHICH WAS SO PROMINANT A CENTURY AGO. IT IS ALSO TIME TO INTRODUCE NEW MODES OF TRANSPORTATION TO LOUISVILLE INORDER TO FURTHER ECONOMIC AND URBAN GROWTH AND TO BETTER LINK THE CITY TO ITS DOWNTOWN AND SUBURBS.THIS PROGRAM IS A PROPOSAL TO CREATE THIS LINK. THE PROJECT IS A TRANSPORTATION CENTER FOR THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA. THIS CENTER WILL BE A PLACE OF TRANSITION WHERE MANY DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION WILL CONVERGE CREATING AN URBAN CENTER OF SOCIAL INTERACTION. THE PROGRAM WILL ATTEMPT TO RENEW THE EXCITEMENT OF TRAVEL AND BRING THE PEOPLE BACK TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THIS PROGRAM WILL OUTLINE THE DESIGN CONCEPTS AND CRITERIA WHICH WILL BE USED TO FORM THE TRANSPORTATION CENTER. IT WILL ALSO LAY OUT THE GUIDELINES WHICH WILL BE TAKEN IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT WILL BE FUNCTIONAL CORRECT, VISUALLY STIMULATING, AND PROPERLY STRUCTURED. THE ULTIMATE GOAL BEING THE CREATION OF A NEW AMENITY TO THE DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE AREA.College of Architecture and PlanningThesis (B. Arch.