Public art, improved parks and more proposed for Los Angeles River

An organization called the Lower Los Angeles River Working Group, made up of non-profits, community members and officials, has unveiled its plan for transforming the river, focusing mainly on a 19-mile portion between Downtown Long Beach and Vernon, according to The Architect’s Newspaper.

The proposal calls for a wide variety of improvements, including public art, wetlands and underground water retention systems, along with upgrades to parks, bridges, boardwalks, pathways and about 150 properties nearby.

The group has produced nearly 12 case studies about the river, including a plan for the Cudahy River Park consisting of access ramps, new bridges, green space along the riverbank, levee terracing, public art by the riverbed and affordable housing along the park.

When the plan is finalized, it will be incorporated into the overall master plan for the river’s revitalization. However, the group is still trying to secure funding, and it could be decades before the changes come to fruition.

Metabolic Studio is at work on a plan to build an inflatable dam along the river near the North Broadway Bridge to increase the amount of water that stays in the river and lower the runoff of wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.  [The Architects Paper] – Eddie Small