Total Transformation: Lancaster's Blueprint for Urban Revitalization

Discover an incredible street transformation in Lancaster, California, inspired by a post from Hayden Clarkin, also known as The Transit Guy (www.thetransitguy.com).
Before 2010, Lancaster Boulevard was a typical car-centric arterial-a wide, five-lane "stroad" prioritizing vehicles over people. Despite wide sidewalks, the excessive asphalt made downtown uninviting for pedestrians, cyclists, and community gatherings.
Recognizing the need for change, the City of Lancaster invested $11.5 million to revitalize nine blocks of the boulevard. They reduced lanes from five to two and introduced a wide, tree-lined central space called a "ramblas."
Using Beyond Typicals, I've showcased this street transformation:
Economic Impact: Generated over $270 million in economic output within four years (Congress for the New Urbanism).
Safety Improvements: By 2013, collisions decreased by nearly one-third, and injuries by an impressive 67%.
Community Space: The ramblas provides extra parking, shortens crosswalks for pedestrian safety, adds mid-block crossings for better connectivity, and hosts street festivals and community events-making Lancaster Boulevard vibrant and inviting.
Stick around to see an idea to take this improvement one step further and turn Lancaster Boulevard into a truly #completestreet
Lancaster's transformation exemplifies how reimagining our streets can profoundly impact communities. Investing in "people spaces" not only boosts economic activity but also improves safety and quality of life.
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#UrbanPlanning #CompleteStreets #TrafficSafety #StreetDesign #Transportation #BeyondTypicals #inspiredinfrastructure #urbanism

[@jeffreypeterson1364]

Wow, that is some great visualization software and it’s used to tell a story of transformation!

[@kajmaklover]

Almost as good as Cities:Skylines :P

[@justforfun54321]

Only 345 subscribers? This is just the beginning for this channel. My prediction is he'll have 100k by Jan 2026

[@justforfun54321]

OMG HE LIKED MY COMMENT IM FAMOUS!

[@Kxnii]

i agree

[@pbilk]

So true! Let's wait and see. 🙂

[@TheRealVenusian]

bro is about to blow up 💯

[@BuildNewTowns]

At 699 now. I just subscribed too! I gotta make some more videos and maybe I'll be at 100K by then too :D

[@circleinforthecube5170]

something that makes me happy is how reducing car centric infrastructure doesen't nescecarrily mean the demolition of 70 years of architecture, instead of tearing down everything and making the whole areas style greige modern

[@MrObeytok]

What software are you using? Looks amazing

[@NelsonBrown]

I hope they can eventually extend the pedestrian-friendliness to the Lancaster train station, which is on the other side of Sierra Highway, but has Metrolink service to Los Angeles.

[@dereference]

I loved this visualization. Amazing, subscribed!

[@CrazyDash9]

Love this! I’ve gone here quite a few times and I really do appreciate how much more vibrant this street design is in comparison to the old road. Thank you for bringing up the lack of bike lanes, implementing some where the on street parking is would make so much sense. Lancaster as a whole needs much more biking infrastructure since everything is very spread out. Other than that, my only gripe that isn’t really a road issue, is that not a lot of people are usually out on the streets partly because there’s almost no housing around this area. It’s mostly just restaurants, so everyone is driving here and makes the area feel more quiet. Hopefully we see more apartments being built close to here so people can simply walk to these stores and restaurants. Hopefully we see more improvements like these across the city

[@David-so7kv]

Good video, in Colombia and South America we need this type of system. Greetings 🇨🇴

[@Cami555555Sheep]

hey I really like the idea behind the video. But if you don't mind some criticism for future videos: it'd be better to have more calm shots and visual match with the dialogue. It was confusing at times watching this video. The timelapses could be a little more reserved or clearly declared ("Now let's see/build the new design") as they're visually chaotic (the software's UI doesn't help either haha) (edit: I saw your "crosswalk in Blacksburg" video, that one is much clearer in presentation. Maybe this video is an exception, I just discovered your channel) Like at 0:55 I didn't notice the "pre-2010/today" text at the top of the screen. I was confused why you were still editing the street and the lanes magically disappearing. That text could be added in your video software in much bolder text. At places like 1:30 where you say "according to an article...", you could show a screenshot of that article and highlight those stats on screen, either as graphics from the article or text. At 2:05 when you talk about the crosswalks and the ramblas, that visual matches the dialogue, this is good! though the timing could be a lil better (start the shot when you start talking about the crosswalk a few seconds earlier). At the end 3:50 where you show the transformation of Lancaster Blvd, I didn't notice the text on the left side. That could be bolder and center top screen, added in your video editing software. A simple fade transition (rather than the software's laggy hardcut) would go a long way too. And showing pictures of the final result (which I realize now you did at the beginning with google streetview) - have some of that (or pictures) at the end too! tldr match the visuals to your dialogue, make presentation clearer (less chaotic), and some simple transition effects would go a long way. Also man, it's way better than the initial design but that's still too many cars on the street lol

[@lighthousepicnic]

Great to see! In your theoretical example…… Bike parking too! Often overlooked….

[@markknudsen1755]

You did it at the end. But I was going to say! Where's some bicycle lanes? Or even the ability to have bus stop locations? Still! This is a pretty cool idea that the city did. Almost want to try this in Cities: Skylines 2 lol

[@bim76]

INSTANT subscriber here! Well done!

[@-Osiris-]

Completely agree on the frustrating lack of cycle infrastructure

[@mikron8374]

Very interesting video definitely subscribing

[@FauxWhistle9262]

Can't believe that I got this video recommended on my home tab and I get to be the 555th subscriber of this channel. Good content! Goodluck on your videos!

[@divisibull6348]

Really liked the 3d aspect. Hope you get more attention soon. Good luck

[@tonythat_tiger]

Love the software example .. haven’t seen it like this! Better understanding to those who are learning more about urban design ❤

[@bruh666]

damn that's a crisp animated model

[@mathieufaltys]

The giant parking lot in the middle of a street is anything but inspiring, though I do hate it less than typical side street parking. I do like your improvements with eliminating the side street parking to make way for bike lanes and more pedestrian space.

[@GunBlasts]

This is a fantastic way to demonstrate especially when you show your idea on how to make the design even better. Subscribed! 💯

[@BuildNewTowns]

Great video! I was just thinking about this! Ways to fix the super wide roads

[@jonathanguzman9725]

I live here in Lancaster since I was born in 2004. Great Vid!

[@Monkey_Devin2yt]

Very cool! Great video dude!

[@henrycoccoli7184]

Just stumbled upon this channel, and I'm impressed. I have a suggestion for a street to take a look at for a future video if you would like: W Washington St in Athens, GA. 3 lanes of one-way traffic in the middle of a smaller downtown with angled parking on both sides seems incredibly overbuilt to me, especially since I rarely see any traffic on it. Love the videos and hope to see more

[@twosenpaiforyou6598]

this is sweet. idk how often you can bike cuz lancaster gets super hot but im sure they would get good use out of summer and in the morning/ night

[@bruh666]

I was waiting for you to mention the addition of more parking with no bicycle infrastructure, your version is how it should have been done 100%.

[@marcelmoulin3335]

Thank you for the thoughtful video. As a keen Dutch cyclist in the Netherlands, I would prefer to see fewer cars. The ambiance of the street would improve dramatically if cars were not ubiquitous.

[@George.Theodore.Mulryan]

Love your work

[@teejaybee8222]

What is the software you are using? It looks like an amazing tool!

[@InspiredInfrastructure]

It is! The software is Beyond Typicals - more at beyondcad.com/beyondtypicals

[@teejaybee8222]

@@InspiredInfrastructure Thanks!

[@qroz763]

Such an underrated channel. Btw what software do you use for your visualisations

[@InspiredInfrastructure]

@@qroz763 Thank you! I use Beyond Typicals for the visuals - beyondcad.com/beyondtypicals

[@jdillon8360]

I'm glad you went for the next step and showed us how it could look with bike lanes. Obviously the current set-up is a huge improvement on the old stroad, but it really is still totally car-dominated and utterly ignores cycling. But hey, we're talking about North America, baby steps are required.

[@Skyprex]

Great Video

[@willis513]

Just amazing

[@jofresivilla4466]

Do you really think that moving from traffic lanes to large areas of parking spaces is making the city less car-centric? Why? Do you think it is comfortable for a pedestrian to be walking among so many cars? Anyway, I'm not quite convinced by your way of seeing it, but the video is cool, and I like this 3D representation of the streets.

[@AnotherDuck]

My opinion on it is that it's not optimal, but it's an improvement. Stationary cars are calmer than moving ones. The main thing is that it seems excessive to have parking both on the outer curb, and in the middle.

[@AhsanulIslamSymun-fz7th]

I mean you earned yourself a new subscriber 😂

[@ahoog69]

We definitely need more of this in the United States. In the not too distant past, the United States was among the leaders in the world for this type of forward thinking design. We can certainly do it again!

[@NoNo-hy2yn]

Antelope valley is a bit depressing it was put as one of the most miserable places in California but I think if Santa Clarita joins to become part of antelope valley and more Lancaster upgrades it will be an amazing place

[@babokmorrison7561]

That is fantastic the software is also a great to really help visualise the space usage. Also what is the software that you’re using?

[@InspiredInfrastructure]

@@babokmorrison7561 Appreciate the feedback! The software is Beyond Typicals www.beyondcad.com/beyondtypicals

[@babokmorrison7561]

@@InspiredInfrastructure Amazing thank you so much for replying, I will definitely take a look!! Also will you only be looking at infrastructure within the US or will you look at international examples as well?

[@InspiredInfrastructure]

@babokmorrison7561 TBD! For now, I'm more comfortable discussing and designing American infrastructure, but who knows what the future holds.

[@CallMeInfinite0000]

There's a cool game called Junxions, similar to Street craft, you can create your own city with custom roads built to your creativity and wisdom. Highly suggest you give it a try soon!

[@NoNo-hy2yn]

Adding bike lanes will make the place like Beverly Hills 😀

[@SecretMountainTroll]

Nice channel

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

It would be better with back in parking along the sides, and you could then put a bike lane on the outside.

[@Degjoy]

It’s so strange how you pronounce the “h” in vehicle. I’ve never heard that before!

[@andrepoiy1199]

Southerners usually do that

[@bruh666]

Could you share what program that is that you're using to model the road and traffic? seems awesome, I like modelling traffic but I don't want to "play" a city building game because all I want to do is just the roads and traffic lol

[@InspiredInfrastructure]

It's Beyond Typicals - beyondcad.com/beyondtypicals

[@oosamir3757]

Cool

[@hexyeetus]

I was wondering if you could maybe consider looking at west main street in visalia california, specifically where it turns into a one way road with diagonal parking. I have lived here for a while and I feel like it could be better but I don't know how. Or if im wrong and maybe its really good design, I would love to hear it.

[@bobsg35]

Let me guess, the employees now park on the ramblas, everyone else has to park on side streets.

[@ZXM23NYC32LA2ZEE]

They have always said an apple a day does the trick, somebody is telling the truth! No jumble-jash here!!

[@thenascarkitty8764]

What is the game or software that you used to create this visual?

[@InspiredInfrastructure]

The software is called Beyond Typicals - beyondcad.com/beyondtypicals

[@sampleee]

what program is that to make streets i need it

[@InspiredInfrastructure]

@@sampleee I'm using Beyond Typicals - beyondcad.com/beyondtypicals

[@Gallo2023]

A lot of cities in the USA only focus in the cars, not the people, only a few cities have areas for walking and enjoying shopping or restaurants but very generic and boring compared to other countries.

[@Arjay404]

I don't like it. They have doubled the amount of parking without providing anything for anyone else apart from shorter crossings for pedestrian and reduced speed. When they added the center island parking section they should have removed the sidewalk parking and converted that into bikelane. Edit: or even just extended the sidewalk, because with the driving lane being just a single lane and feeling cramped, cars should be going slower meaning that it might be okay to have bikes also use the driving lane.

[@lensiax9276]

I am not convinced by your statement at 2:47 that the increased parking causes increased traffic which will cause increased congestion and safety issues. If you read Walkable City by Jeff Speck, he notes that many studies show that increased traffic actually reduces congestion and reduces safety issues. The congestion is reduced due to the perceived "risk" of being stuck in traffic of car drivers who would normally traverse this stroad, likely not stopping along the way. The safety concerns are alleviated by the slower speeds at which cars move. The cars move slower due to both increased traffic (this makes sense) but also because the environment is not conducive to high speeds. The roads feel tighter for drivers, and they notice that parked cars are pulling out from both sides of the road, which will heighten their awareness and slow their speed. Your statement, without any supporting evidence, is misleading and feels like it was inserted simply as a segue to add bike lanes and cash in on the "Orange pill" audience. Speck also notes that reducing car parking on commercial streets can be harmful to businesses due to the lack of space for customers to park, advising cities to not gut parking for bicycle lanes. While the protected bicycle lane you conjured looks nice with its flower boxes, many cities do not provide anything more than paint separation. Without a barrier, the driving lane is wider and cars will perceive a higher sense of safety. They also will double park (or the businesses will, if they need to make deliveries of supplies) in the bike lanes if they are not protected. Lastly, if the speed at which cars move is slow enough (20 mph or less), then Speck shows the risk of injury to a bicyclist (or human crossing the street) is much lower and they can comfortably mix with the traffic. I do agree that they should provide accommodations for bicyclists, whether that be bike racks in that middle section or on the side of the roads. Also, it is not mentioned in your video if there is too much parking, which could be a valid case for removing some parking stalls. Speck notes that parking should generally follow the 80/20 rule (give or take 5%, I cannot remember exactly), meaning 80% of the spots should be filled and 20% should be empty, that way the city avoids people driving around the city looking for a parking space (in some cities, especially California, this makes up a very large number of the peak traffic) and also avoids people being turned away outright from visiting the downtown due to a lack of parking. Two more final points: curbside parking in particular acts as a safety barrier for humans walking on the street or for humans eating outside. Nobody wants to be eating next to a lane of traffic driving 25+ mph, revving their engines and emitting pollutants. A barrier of steel is a nice safety net both from the noise and danger. And finally, assuming the city makes all of these parking spots metered (which they should), and they are meeting the 80/20 parking rule, they will generate substantial revenue that can be reinvested into the community. Your video is excellent from a visual point of view, impressive graphics and renderings. I suggest you do some reading if you have not already and incorporate the vast knowledge on this subject into your videos to differentiate you from the other commentators who are trying to cash in on this burgeoning topic.

[@clementbouvard8457]

Why a parking tho 🙃 we can't have nice things instead ??

[@hdhr00]

That’s rambla, not ramblas

[@kailahmann1823]

the speed limit there is posted at 15 mph. If that's enforced, then bike lanes won't be needed

[@MAL1GNANT]

What a silly thing to say.

[@kailahmann1823]

@@MAL1GNANT ever biked in Germany or the Netherlands?

[@MAL1GNANT]

@@kailahmann1823 There were 2 ways to interpret what you said, and I clearly chose the worse. My apologies!

[@jzk2020]

Still feels like doo doo

[@MAL1GNANT]

Better than before though

[@TransaurusWrecks]

Cool video. I grew up in Lancaster, and the Blvd was a dismal place before the revitalization. There is a great vegan friendly spot called Modern Tea Room that has great food here, highly recommended.