LA County Department of Parks and Recreation

Improve the interface between the river corridor and adjacent communities.

A 51-mile corridor of connected public open space, arts, and culture along the LA River can only be an asset if it has strong personal and physical connections with adjacent communities. Both personal and physical connections with the river provide…

Provide spaces for people of all ages and abilities to learn about the ecology, hydrology, engineering, and cultural and natural history of the river and its watershed.

The LA River and its watershed have been in a constant state of change throughout human history—from the way the river used to naturally change course to its channelization, from native plant and animal communities to dense urbanization, from native peoples’…

Increase safe transportation routes to the river.

Ensuring that there are clear, safe, direct connections from neighborhoods to the LA River makes nearby neighbors more likely to use the river and, by extension, the broader LA County network of parks and trails that the river connects to. The…

Create welcoming access points and gateways to the LA River and LA River Trail to optimize physical access along its length, on both sides.

Along parts of the river that currently have trails, only about a third of access points have signs, less than two thirds appear to be clearly accessible by persons with disabilities, less than half connect to bridges that allow access to…

Use the river corridor as a living laboratory where ongoing innovation is encouraged.

Due to the broad range of conditions along the LA River, it is an ideal place to test varied ecosystem strategies. A living laboratory also provides opportunities for education and community participation in various strategies. Several organizations and schools have already…

Use environmentally responsible practices for operations and maintenance of the river channel and adjacent lands.

Healthy, connected urban ecosystems rely not just on large physical investments but on more regular operations and maintenance practices. Environmentally friendly practices and products are widely available today. However, their application often differs from the use of their traditional counterparts, highlighting…

Create a connective network of habitat patches and corridors to facilitate the movement of wildlife and support a diverse resilient ecological community.

Habitat patches are discrete areas, whereas habitat corridors are linear linkages that ensure connectivity between patches. While patches are valuable and important for birds and insect species, enhancing and interconnecting urban habitat patches with larger habitat areas beyond the LA River…

Increase plant species biodiversity, and focus on the use of local California native plants in and around the river corridor.

Individual plants do not exist in isolation. They exist within the context of other plant species, soils, microclimates, and wildlife, and each has a specific function within the larger ecosystem. The more diversity within an ecosystem, the more robust and resilient…

Increase habitat and ecosystem function along the river corridor.

Intact ecosystems perform multiple critical services beyond providing habitat for wildlife and providing public enjoyment. They make air more breathable, water more drinkable, and climate more stable. They help mitigate the negative effects of urban development by filtering and absorbing stormwater,…

Promote public safety along the river.

Community members named safety as the top reason they do not use the LA River. Improving the perception of safety means addressing physical and perceptual factors. Physical factors include having appropriately scaled railings and a path that is clear of…

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