Date of Submission
Spring 5-13-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Ehsan Sheikholharam Mashhadi
Abstract
Transit hubs are a vital backbone for commuters in major US cities. Despite this backbone, the design priority of the transit hubs is not given the same commitment. When designing transit hubs, there is a focus on the circulation of the hub, often neglecting community engagement and the opportunity to design the space for more than just a transit center. This hyper fixation on circulation just exacerbates the problem of lost space within the urban city. Lost space is the space that is left over and unused due to urban blight. Urban blight occurred in the mid-20th century with people moving to the suburbs and the creation of a national highway system. A potential solution to solving lost space is to incorporate the concept of Placemaking into these spaces. Placemaking analyzes spaces based on four aspects: Uses and Activities, Access and Linkage, Comfort and Image, and Sociability. These four aspects look at the different critical aspects that make a space a place. The issue between lost space and potential for Placemaking solutions is very strong at the block of the Five Points MARTA station. It is located adjacent to Woodruff Park, Underground Atlanta, and Georgia State University. It receives a lot of people on a daily basis, but they do not stay there. as the things to do are located off-site, compared to making the station itself the community center. This research design project aims to reconnect the transit hub with the community it is meant to serve and the complex relationship between them. How can Placemaking serve as an architectural solution to the disconnected Five Points station? This research design project explores the complexities of Placemaking as a solution to lost spaces at transit hubs to reconnect the broken connection between them and the community. By merging Placemaking with the issue of lost space at transit hubs, the idea of the transit hub can be transformed into not only a landmark for infrastructure, but also for the community.