Transforming the Los Angeles River | Earth Focus | Season 5, Episode 2 | PBS SoCal

[@QAYWSXEDCCXYDSAEWQ]

I watch programs like this and I feel hope for humanity; this is great initiative, and it certainly sounds like their really thinking out of the box here.

[@travelinghistoryteacher]

Seoul, South Korea, revived a stream that required the demolition of a major highway overpass and some displacement of traditional businesses. It is less daunting than the proposed L.A. River revival but perhaps Los Angeles can learn lessons from what happened in Seoul with the Cheonggycheon Stream Revival.

[@sergiovillasenor1455]

Remembering a Pomo woman teaching me how to make a bird figure out of tules ♥️♥️ learned a lot of history that day♥️♥️♥️

[@jessicabaggott5517]

I love the emphasis on indigenous voices and land back. I think we should absolutely protect the communities already there, and I imagine that prioritizing and putting indigenous voices in power will also help in that goal. Please allow natives to gather cultural materials ! People are a part of the ecosystem and will help if involved !

[@mls01981]

It sounds nice, but when push comes to shove, how do you allocate the limited land along the river? There are many historical claims to the land -- Tongva, Spainish, Mexicans, Americans, Asian/Latino immigrants? What about the current landowners who have an opportunity for generational wealth by selling their low-income apartment complexes to developers? Is it wrong to create spaces for up and coming millennials who want to live in a re-vitalized LA interior? This also ignores the interests of the taxpayers who will be footing the $2B+ project! Displacement seems obvious and inevitable if/when the river becomes highly desirable, albeit sad.

[@chrisg8995]

Please make a part 3 specifically highlighting what projects have already been completed or are currently in progress. Thank you

[@felipericketts]

This is a hopeful story. Let's move forward in a way that truly heeds all voices and communities. This can be one more medicine to further the healing that we all need, together. 🙂

[@acf1507]

The bike path is so idiotically designed. Why is pedestrian friendly infrastructure so hard to implement in LA? Overall, instead of adding more walkable places and spaces, they keep taking. It is really frustrating to live through.

[@acf1507]

Another example is the Little Tokyo Metro station. Instead of adding public green space on the surface, its an ugly blank concrete slab with absolutely 0 usage most of the time since it opened.

[@fboness368]

@@acf1507 Unfortunately any public green space in LA quickly turns into a homeless camp. Maybe that's why.

[@leaf_me_b3708]

They're too afraid to take space away from cars, so instead they took away from the walking path. They probably could have easily removed parking on a parallel street and added a bike lane, but they didn't.

[@todddammit4628]

I think because LA is trying to reduce traffic, which means you need to prioritize bicycle infrastructure over everything else. It sucks, but the people walking on that path are doing it mostly for leisure and exercise, while many of the people cycling on that path are replacing trips typically done with a car. One is nice to have, the other is necessary for decarbonization.

[@monkeyrun]

​@@todddammit4628 we reduce traffic by investing in public transport, make walking around town, taking buses and trains safe and enjoyable. there are only so much walkable area you can turn into roads for cars.

[@leonardeide2008]

good to see some green in downtown LA

[@seeranos]

Fundamentally, the reasons why investment in an area creates gentrification is 1.) The rest of the city is strapped for housing supply in attractive places for people to live, 2.) The car infrastructure makes commuting from one side of the city to the other a viable option for a professional/worker's daily life, and 3.) High proportions of the community are renters and renters have very little protections. If these were not factors, investments in a community would benefit that community.

[@Zedprice]

So, to remove these factors we need to, in order of your enumeration, 1) Upzone the entirety of LA for duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and bungalow courts; 2a) Enable mixed-use zoning to decrease the need for many car trips, 2b) Stop all highway expansions and even begin implementing road diets to decrease excess pavement and increase space for walking and bicycling infrastructure, and 2c) Continue expanding transit, including reinstating LA's historic tram lines; and 3) Find new funding structures for land trusts and other nonprofit housing cooperatives that de-capitalize housing and promote both the accumulation of generational wealth and community investment.

[@MakeSomeNoisePlaylists]

"Fundamentally" you want to may be google capitalism in the USA....its over

[@Sacto1654]

They have to seriously consider dredging the riverbed of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers to at least 2.5 to 3 times its old natural depth if they want to remove the concrete proection system. That way, in case of heavy winter rains the river does not become a flooding hazard.

[@todddammit4628]

There's other things they could do though. They could build aquifer recharge stations every couple of miles that take overflow water and pump it underground. We need to recharge the aquifers anyway, so this seems like a win-win.

[@Sacto1654]

@@todddammit4628 While it sounds like a good idea, the unstable geology of the Los Angeles Basin (there's a lot more earthquake faults than just the San Andreas Fault!) might make the idea no practical.

[@bkayganich]

@@todddammit4628 You don't need to build recharge stations. Giving the river a natural bottom will lead to absorption..

[@ericfielding2540]

The concrete floor of the river is a key part of how it can carry the huge amount of water that flows during major storms without collapsing. Aquifer recharge areas are great but they require open land that is not available anywhere near most of the LA River. They have some good water spreading grounds, including the Sepulveda basin, but the rest of the LA area is full of homes and businesses.

[@ericfielding2540]

The concrete floor of the river is a key part of how it can carry the huge amount of water that flows during major storms without collapsing. Aquifer recharge areas are great but they require open land that is not available anywhere near most of the LA River. They have some good water spreading grounds, including the Sepulveda basin, but the rest of the LA area is full of homes and businesses.

[@BoomerPlusUltra]

Gentrification is just another word for demand exceeding supply. If you make a location more desirable then obviously it’s going to charge a premium. The only way to combat this is by simultaneously increasing supply with the increase in demand. Failure to do so is what prices people out.

[@hilohahoma4107]

I watched the first episode and was about to go off on the makers of this when I saw there's a part 2, good for them because if they hadn't included the First People's of this area many of which are my friends I would have raised hell. Blessings to the original human beings of the Tatavian, Tongva Gabrieleno, and the Chumash who have been here for tens of thousands of years. I am Ox'kon Tasen'(Red Thunder) in the language of the Village of Kalawa'Shaq in Santa Ynez Valley, Tule is life. kipu chumawish tani hey'

[@max30888]

It's just a matter of finding a middle ground between restoring the river to its beautiful nature and finding a way to prevent the disastrous effects of flooding

[@EaseJoyExuberant]

It would be wonderful to see horse stables, open space and dirt paths along the river for horses and their riders. Also, separate paths for bicycles and for walkers would be safer.

[@todddammit4628]

Horses are a luxury for the wealthy. Fuck that.

[@davidzagrodny9601]

most folks on the Westside have no idea there are horse properties in and around South Los Angeles

[@cledesma135]

Excavating Los Angeles is a great read by Mike Davis.

[@arturoarabitg6438]

Happy, healthy life as a luxury item. It's always been the same. Any substantive change requires a spiritual and ideological overhaul. Good luck to us all. Whenever we less powerful financially and politically have enjoyed place and community, it's because the more powerful had yet to discover an investment opportunity for them. The law of the jungle wrapped in good intentions.

[@gregdahlen4375]

it makes sense the tribes would be in touch with the river because they were there when people directly took water from the river rather than water being piped in from different places

[@incognitotorpedo42]

That was multiple generations ago. Do the descendants of those people still have that knowledge?

[@brianfarmer6223]

Just remember nature doesn’t cost money to happen, it just happens.

[@ЕвгенийК-ю3е]

Случайно увидел,в России есть тоже река Воронка ,а по бокам плиты из бетона,утки плавают,я помню такое много раз,вода у нас была то грязная,то чистая,приятно вспомнить,ваша река тоже неплохач

[@zecc81]

Unfortunately I'm not seeing a path to success here. It's a nice thought to ask everybody and attempt to minimize all impacts but the idea could be paralyzed with conflicting interests. Better use of adjacent space is certainly welcome but the existing drainage infrastructure is here to stay - this last storm season it was nearly at capacity. The fear of development is quite interesting as it seems to highlight people across the region are seeking "somewhere better" so you tend to capture that demand immediately upon building said better place. If you want to fight this current imbalance you must create policy that blatantly favors local interests and actively deincentivizes non-locals from moving there. Idk, try it? Chances are change will bring change though. I'm potentially in favor of incentivizing developers to build more "basic" dense housing with subsidies, but I'd argue this needs to be paired up directly with transit options to access more widespread opportunity in the region to actually make a dent in the economic situation. But I'm just a random internet commenter so who knows. Glad we're thinking about it at least.

[@AliasHSW]

It’s understandable that local communities may feel jeopardized and exposed to real estate investment speculation because Gehry’s name is attached to the project, but in reality it makes sense to have such a firm with its vast global professional and institutional knowledge/ experience to oversee the vision of the project to be successful

[@BC-cx9mx]

The two ideas of feeling jeopardized and the sensibleness of Gehry's involvement aren't appropriately related in the above statement, unless there is an unstated assumption that removing Gehry would prevent a feeling jeopardy.

[@gypsylake5164]

The people are part of the habitat. If there is an altruism of restoring the river then it should also be about improving the quality of life for the people who have lived along the river. No one should have to be removed, tenants, homeowners, or business. It should be about improving the quality of life for the people who have called it home for decades and generations. The improvement should not be for some other people the developers want to bring in. They have all kinds of limitless places to build luxury housing and sky high prices. This project should be a boost in every way to the communities with long roots and ties to the river. They have been neglected long enough and now some big vision comes along, well if that vision does not have them in mind then it is not much of a vision and its bound to fail. Hopefully there are plenty of brakes to stop that train before one person becomes displaced. It has to be smarter, go slower to catch and correct the mistakes. Hopefully with keen eyes this will be done right. It will be a great blessing and something the people have been waiting on for a long time, may they not be disappointed.

[@RangeMcrangeface]

I searched for grocery stores in Elysian Valley are several close. Calling this a food desert is dramatic. One a 6 min car drive. The bigger issue is this community is sandwiched between the 5 and the river. A bridge across would make that 6 minute car drive about 2 minutes.

[@todddammit4628]

Why don't they just require all new development to have 10% of their housing set aside for low-income only? These buildings have much higher density, so 10-15% would be enough to replace most of the housing lost through redevelopment. Seems like it would be the easiest path to get both the restoration and guard against displacement.

[@azaquarium123]

That is called "inclusionary zoning" and it doesn't work, it's expensive to permit and build in California so forcing developers to lose money they need to recoup costs means they go build somewhere else and actually results in less housing being built. You can subsidize units but you can't just force someone else to lose money. Imagine homeowners are forced to sell there homes for ten to twenty percent less than they are worth there'd be uproar but we force similar concessions on multifamily residents and builders.

[@QAYWSXEDCCXYDSAEWQ]

The people who live in the expensive housing don't want 10% of their area to become slums, that is the reality.

[@uhohhotdog]

What does this have to do with a river

[@vagabondcruz]

Does PBS have a tik tok or ig reels? Cross media publications would aid in a diverse public discussion!

[@TheBasedCanadian]

No comrade 😂

[@francisismyhero]

The problem stems from not enabling renters to become owners. As long as they don't have access to ownership (aka capital), they are going to be oppressed and displaced by those with capital. The state needs to create a system for long-term renters in a community to get low-interest loans to become owners in their community. The state can make that attractive to sellers by nullifying most or all of the tax sellers pay on their highly profitable sale from speculated public investment. However, this is hard when you elect silver-spooned greasy politicians to high office whose friends and family are wealthy investors and not teachers and small business owners. Tax policy and helping the subjected working class grow in capital and agency are not solved by the type of politicians we keep on electing and supporting at all levels.

[@THEMCMLXXXVI]

When you don’t own something, it’s not yours. It’s hard to swallow but it’s why there not these disputes in rich areas

[@damocles5968]

I've love to see a green LA river. It will make my bike rides more enjoyable than running the homeless gauntlet.

[@alexisdespland4939]

can the land tryst go bust what happens if it dose.

[@jumpywizard7665]

Watching this from Europe is so weird. Gentrification is not what’s happening here. The river is a sewer and those low income neighborhoods are social economic ghettos/prison that need to open up and participate to society. There’s been decades of lacking investment in infrastructural and environmental projects. Incomes and backgrounds need to mix. You can’t choose the type of diversity you want if you want the community to succeed. Most of the new buildings are built up on vacant land, parking lots, and disinfected land. And that bike path must be a joke. They seriously couldn’t make it bigger? Where 6 lane stroads and sprawls are everywhere they couldn’t fit a bike and walk path? Seriously??? Pathetic planning.

[@Orchids.and.Endlers]

👍 I’m glad you see through the BS

[@zecc81]

The elusive solution to economically depressed neighborhoods aside, the bike path is small very likely because it was the only space between the buildable edge of LA river infrastructure and adjacent property lines. The legal burden to reduce all river-adjacent lot sizes to create the optimal path width would effectively mean no bike path would ever get built, so it's nice they did the best they could with available space now I think. Substantial change that requires significant redevelopment will occur over decades as with most but cities, but the policies have to be put in place now to incentivize a new direction. Truly the hardest part is being patient. The tide is turning for sure but only a shortsighted person will check back next year and roll their eyes because it hasn't been transformed into a utopia yet.

[@mrxman581]

There is no space. You would have to eliminate businesses and homes to make thevpath wider. The mistake was made when the LA River was first channeled. Had they thought back then to make the apron on both sides of the river much wider, things would be very different today.

[@radiola3454]

why can't we work around the concrete - like build a deck for the walk path - isn't it cheaper at the end of the day.

[@gregdahlen4375]

i get that the teenage girl likes her mom's food truck business although i lived near macarthur park for 10 years and those food trucks were a menace cuz they were so noisy they'd honk their horns on the block frequently to tell people they were there the noise was bad. course idk if this woman honks hers

[@migzz7976]

River restoration hardware

[@alexisdespland4939]

there should be a study going back to geologic recorded flood histroy of the intire valley first before any more greening takes place so local insurcance tables can be updated at the same time and also get someyhing on wich to based what if any flood pertection to save or rebuild in the syatem.

[@_ac_7649]

What happened to the Chinatown sign?

[@jordanjohnson9866]

It’s in LA.

[@gioyes5035]

Think about Chavez Ravine

[@james_the_darklord]

Los Angeles wasn't founded where China town is now lady. Olvera street is considered the birthplace of Los Angeles

[@r22gamer54]

she said one of the first lol

[@ronm3245]

The first settlement of Los Angeles was EXACTLY where Chinatown is now. There was a flood shortly thereafter and things were moved to where the Plaza and Olvera Street are now, which was a few feet higher. What became Chinatown was subject to too-frequent flooding.

[@jonasrettig327]

new rich people are bad and speculation but new poor people ore immigrants are good hoo?

[@alexisdespland4939]

the land trust sgould hace to be reautirizes at leadt once a cubtury if notonce a geberation why should the great grabd cgildreb be force to stayy where the great gran parent creayer a great idea of a land trust,

[@thomashaugh8720]

Astroturf it l🧐

[@juliuscaesar2792]

The L.A. river is a sewer.

[@todddammit4628]

So was the river in Paris. But look at what they've been able to do in a few short years with that river.

[@abstainingindianunitednations]

How can you talk down colonizer's name for Whittier Narrows and then have a name, like Kimberly Johnson? See minute 19:05.

[@bkayganich]

Yep nothing but irony, all the while wearing the "colonizers" clothes and accessories.. Natives should really move on..

[@darrellr8534]

Im sorry but tribal land? or tribal rituals on the LA river? C'mon. At some point you have to let go.

[@mobility_criteria]

burn

[@brittanykasha4825]

@darrellr8534 There’s space for everyone 😊 a designated park like space along the river won’t take a big piece of the river bank. It’s 50 miles long with banks on both sides. That’s 100 miles of river front altogether. Plenty of space

[@uhohhotdog]

If I’m watching a video about transforming the river I don’t need a history lesson. Get to the point