The Los Angeles River Revitalization Project

Jason Neville discusses how the elements of citymaking- design, policy, and finance-- and the citymaking dialectic plays out in the Los Angeles River Revitalization Project. (Photo: Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan)
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#urbandesign #citymaking #urbanplanning

[@adriangloza]

What a great video. It was very informative and well summarized. Thank you for sharing!

[@HippieP629]

Thanks a lot for sharing, Jason

[@tylerwatanabe-noguera2092]

Thank you for the video, it was very informative and personally I love the ideas discussed here

[@stonew1927]

You have to start with a vision. Where there is a will there's a way. It might take decades, but eventually the project can be done. Anything is better than the concrete eyesore that it is. Given that, I lived near the river near the I-5 and 110 freeways, near "Frogtown," northeast of downtown. I moved away from LA in 2010, but by then the river was already showing signs of life with trees colonizing small islets along the middle of the river, away from the concrete banks. I remember seeing various bird species including herons there. It was a glimmer for what it could become. But so much more would need to be done to convert the river into a true habitat for wildlife and place for Angelenos to spend their leisure time. And yet, when I'd see these mockups of the vision plans, I question how realistic they are, given how often winter rains turn the river into an extremely dangerous torrent racing down the channel at breakneck speeds. At times that channel can get filled almost to the top. So given that ultimately it's purpose is as a flood control channel, I question how feasable it truly is to be transformed into a healthy river environment that benefits wildlife and the communities along it. As wonderful and well intentioned the plans to transform the wash are, they may simply not be realistic. I can imagine during heavy rain events the amount of rescues being needed increasing far more than what they are now and have been. Well, let's hope these issues are well thought out and that the channel can appear less like an industrial wasteland and more riparian in the coming years.

[@encinobalboa]

River was confined to prevent a repeat of 1938 flood. In 2005, flow rate exceeded 1938 and there was no damage. Whatever "restoration" is done must not compromise this protection to people and property.

[@stonew1927]

@@encinobalboa That's exactly my point . . .

[@jamescoleakaericunderwood2503]

@@encinobalboa people need to stop throwing their property in the river .
I'm just being a smart aleck

[@encinobalboa]

@@stonew1927 We had two atmospheric river events in Jan, 2023. Whatever "restoration" work and money would have been washed away, pun intended. Public money would be better spent on the 60,000 experiencing homelessness. ("Experiencing" is a joke word I heard in public discussion on the topic.)

[@someblokecalleddave1]

@@encinobalboa There should be solutions for both scenarios, but all the while you have just 3 people owning 50% of the USA's wealth, there's not going to be any easy answers. Those three people if they lived a 1000 times over they could never spend the money they've accrued.

[@bluesmoke8714]

Capturing, and treating the flood waters to mitigate the rate of change in flow. This was not mentioned in other videos on this river project. I haven't been to la since '74 I hated the state of the "river" it was an eyesore. My father explained the why of it, that when it rained the rain couldn't sink into the land like it does on our farm in Canada that it runs off the buildings down the streets and into storm drains from many miles around, that the whole "riverbed " fills up in minutes and if it was not for the cement bottom making it flow quickly, it would silt up and flood , or it would cost enormous amounts of money to dredge. I love what is being done there now, maybe I will visit again, is the green smog still thick enough to hide the downtown from the i 5 ?

[@gregbennett4254]

It's flood control