The park faces criticism from what many believe to be a poor design. The walls along the sides and the raised entryway on the corners keep people out rather than invite people in.
The arched seating and railings are intended to deter the homeless from laying down and sleeping causing the area to feel uninviting. The locals call the palm tree lined area near the Northeast corner "urinal alley" citing disgust over the frequent urination from the homeless.
The artwork and fountain on the South end created by Ricardo Legorreta often goes misinterpreted even though it was created with good intention. The purple bell tower, aqueduct, and orange concrete spheres are meant to symbolize the water flow from the California mountain ranges to the citrus farmers. However, most visitors misinterpret this as just being ugly without any meaning or significance. Visitors only see orange concrete spheres, uncomfortable seating, a fountain, and an abstract purple triangle-like structure with a bell inside without any further interpretation.
The "Cheese Wedge" structure that houses a closed snack bar also has significance and meaning, none of which is known at the time of posting.
AEG, the corporation currently operating the Staples Center and L.A. Live complex is currently sponsoring a $700,000.00 re-design of the Pershing Square. Efforts are currently underway to re-envision ways to improve the current park.
