Planning

90-Minute Education Session

Public Practitioners

MON-A05 - The ReImagined River: Fifty-One Miles of Connected Open Space

1.50 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, FL, NY/HSW

Lead Speaker(s)

• 

  Jessica Henson, ASLA

  Associate
  OLIN

Speaker(s)

• 

  William Mark Hanna, LEED AP, PE

  Senior Principal
  Geosyntec Consultants

One million people live within a mile of the Los Angeles River, which currently serves a singular purpose of flood control. Los Angeles County is reimagining the river as multibenefit and updating its 1996 master plan. This session explores the project, which is integrating robust community engagement, politics, hydrology, and design.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the history of the Los Angeles River related to the current effort to update the master plan.
• Understand hydrological realities and flows associated with a flashy, semiarid river system flowing through an ultra-urban environment.
• Discuss political challenges and opportunities associated with a multijurisdictional river and understand opportunities for robust public engagement.
• Explore the design kit of parts, ranging from parks to water recharge to affordable housing.