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Action: Promote the river and natural ecosystem as an economic asset to surrounding communities.

The LA River provides economic value, not just for its irreplaceable utility functions but for its ecosystem and community services.

Transforming the river as it is today into the river it is envisioned to be will increase its value as a recreation amenity, as a living laboratory, as an active transportation corridor, as a place to display and celebrate art and culture. To advocate for, build, and maintain the reimagined river will require the coordinated work of designers, engineers, artists, skilled tradespeople, and others. This presents an opportunity to train and hire a cadre of river-related workers, create local jobs programs, and encourage youth internships—ensuring that existing residents receive economic benefits from a reimagined river.

Click above for other actions that involve the implementation lead or potential partners or that apply to the same geographic boundaries.

Methods

specific, tangible ways to reach the goal

  • Utilize local resources and workforce to design, build, operate, and maintain projects, art, and amenities along the river, where possible.
  • Encourage service provider and concessionaire contracts with local businesses as a means to promote regional workforce development and economic expansion.
  • Provide workforce training to maintain river-related and nature-based projects.
  • Encourage fair-chance policies in hiring for river-related jobs.
  • Use local resident hiring practices for people living near the river.
  • Use targeted worker hiring practices for apprenticeship and employment opportunities, including but not limited to veterans, persons experiencing homelessness, individuals with a history of involvement with the criminal justice system, older persons (55+), and persons with physical, cognitive, psychiatric, communicative, and developmental disabilities.
  • Work with veterans affairs organizations to identify opportunities to train and match veterans with jobs or other vocational training related to the river.
  • Work with homeless service providers to identify opportunities to train and match individuals experiencing homelessness with jobs or other vocational training.
  • Encourage local businesses and river-related groups to engage youth, individuals under community supervision (probation and parole), and reentering populations in internships related to the river.
  • Encourage local business and river-related groups to engage residents, such as youth, student groups, social clubs, retirees, and individuals under community supervision (probation and parole) in volunteer and stewardship opportunities related to the river.
  • Promote recreation and river-related enterprises activities as an economic resource.
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