Revitalizing LA River takes team work

The route to revitalization of the LA River is through collaboration, and by starting on a specific catalytic project writes Nancy Michali

The Los Angeles River embodies considerable potential for its city and region. Los Angeles turned its back on this waterway, which, after devastating floods in the 1930s, was tamed and framed by a deep concrete channel. For much of its 51-mile length today, it is flanked by rail, roads, and older, underutilized industrial development. It is far from being a beautiful urban asset, but it is the focus for much debate about its revitalization as an urban oasis.

For many years, local residents, city leaders, environmentalists, urban planners, developers and land owners have sought to unlock the river’s transformative potential. The promise of revitalization in a sustainable way is completely achievable — if we recognize a few complicating factors.

Three steps to achieving the vision

First, all vested parties must understand and accept that the scope of the river’s potential is simply too complex for any one entity to implement alone.

Second, bringing the vision of a vibrant, healthy, prosperous LA River to life can only be achieved incrementally by initially focusing on a catalytic project to initiate revitalization efforts.

Third and finally, closely integrated collaboration by the city’s public, private and community sectors is imperative to revitalize and successfully transform the river.

The time to start this transformation is now

There have been notable achievements toward realizing a revitalized river. Last November, taxpayers approved Measure M, a bond measure that commits over $400 million to create a contiguous LA River bike path along all 51 miles of riverbank.

In February 2017, the city of Los Angeles took a significant step from vision toward reality with its acquisition of the Taylor Yard land parcel in the Cypress Park area, adjacent to the river in northeast LA. This will become a 40-acre cornerstone recreational and green space and could be the initial catalytic project that sparks future revitalization efforts along the river.

And in June, the city leveraged a mix of local, state and private funding sources to build the multi-modal bridge connecting Atwater Village to Griffith Park, demonstrating what can be achieved through innovative funding approaches and public/private partnerships.

Collaboration, cooperation and focus

As land entitlement and funding opportunities continue to evolve or become resolved, the time is now to start delivering on the potential of creating a revitalized LA River. Taking an inclusive and collaborative approach and focusing on incremental will lead to future successes.

Given the scope and scale of many of the proposed projects, river revitalization success cannot be achieved by a single entity or organization operating alone. LA River revitalization can only succeed through cooperation and partnerships among everyone who has an interest in its future, including ecologists, developers, residents and land owners.

Will everyone get exactly what they want? The answer is more than likely no. Can we develop and implement purposeful solutions that will satisfy a majority of fundamental values and priorities? Absolutely.

Constructive collaboration is key

Taylor Yard is a critical first step. Because the needs of the entire river cannot practically be tackled all at once, Los Angeles’ approach to identify and revitalize a single site for multiple uses illustrates how manageable, focused efforts are a more realistic way to deliver a win for everyone involved. As the city is able to demonstrate these incremental wins — resulting in collaborative revitalization of segments of the river — the future will be more easily achieved.

This practical reality — that no one can implement a comprehensive vision of the LA River alone —  necessitates the creation of partnerships and innovative delivery models such as public/private partnerships can fuel the transformation.  And AECOM, with our broad capabilities in planning, design, construction and financing, can integrate and coordinate the needs of the city, residents, community groups and developers.

Constructive collaboration with public, private, community and ecologic interests can lead to plans that not only share significant costs and accelerate implementation, but also provide a platform to realize mutual benefits, be they ecological, financial or community based.

By aligning the best business, civic, ecological and community resources of Los Angeles, its namesake river can be rejuvenated with credible and innovative approaches that define our society in myriad creative, progressive and environmentally responsible ways. The LA River is poised to become a shining gateway for Southern California that current and future Angelenos can enjoy for generations to come.

Now is time to start making the vision a reality.

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This article is based on a feature first published on July 21,2017 in the Pasadena Star News.