Car culture was initiated by automobile and oil companies after World War II as a superior way to travel. The automobile became a symbol of status and class. Car culture remains a significant part of American society today and has influenced many cities to dedicate more space to the automobile rather than the pedestrian.

The priority of space given to cars can be seen by the plethora of parking lots and the extensive highway system. Car culture fosters an inefficient and unsustainable way of commuting. Cities need to consider alternative ways of transit and the space previously allocated for cars should be returned back to the public.

Mind the Gap is a transit center that sits on the intersection of the 60 and 5 freeway in the East Los Angeles Interchange in Boyle Heights. The transit center aims to dispel the stigma against public transportation with its dynamic formal qualities. Public transportation is no longer something reserved for the lower class, but a way of the future. Existing freeway infrastructure pierces through the building, and rail lines will be retrofitted on top of the existing freeway.