The Los Angeles Bus Shelter Program—set to deliver 3,000 new and upgraded smart bus shelters and 450 shade structures over the next decade—has been selected as a winner of Fast Company’s 2025 World Changing Ideas Awards. The annual list honors bold and trailblazing efforts that tackle the world’s most pressing issues, from fresh sustainability initiatives and cutting-edge AI developments to ambitious pursuits of social equity that are helping mold the world.
Designed by SOM in collaboration with Designworks, a BMW group company, and urban planner Studio One Eleven, the shelters and shade structures are conceived as a scalable kit of parts that can be adapted to each site and its existing infrastructure. Inspired by California Modernism, the shelter design features an interchangeable set of elements allowing for more than 170 configurations. The new structures evoke the hues of Southern California’s landscape with steel frames and perforated aluminum components powder-coated in agave green.
“As climate change intensifies, increased shade and shelter is critical to health and equity,” said SOM Design Lead Carlos Madrid III. “The design considers human comfort and the L.A. context in all aspects—from the heat absorbing materials that provide thermal comfort in the warmer months to the color and form that integrates and complements the urban landscape.”
This new initiative by StreetsLA, a division of the city’s Department of Public Works, will dramatically improve the transit experience for its riders by providing up to 35 percent more shade than the city’s existing shelters. Tranzito-Vector is developing the citywide network, integrating advertising and smart city technology on an unprecedented scale for Los Angeles. Recently, the City celebrated the milestone of its 150th shelter installation in Koreatown alongside city officials and community members.
