May 14--The nonprofit group created by the city to manage the revitalization of the Los Angeles River will host a public "listening session" Saturday to share insights from several data studies and to hear from residents about their hopes for the future of the 51-mile waterway.
The first of three planned sessions is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the South Gate Park Girls Club House in South Gate. The session will include a brief overview by River LA, the nonprofit formerly known as the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corp., Gehry Partners and Geosyntec.
Officials will provide data on parks and open space, water, transportation, ecology and the river's current state as well as future possibilities.
Three specific questions will be touched on:
--What does a truly healthy, vibrant and resilient river look like in an urban context?
--How should we rethink the local water supply that feeds and is fed by the river?
--How can we be sure that the vast benefits of this public resource are shared equitably?
Afterward, the community will have a chance to ask questions and make comments.
River LA commissioned architect Frank Gehry to craft a plan that would create "a continuous experience" over the river's 51 miles that flow through 15 cities and a varied landscape of parks, residential neighborhoods, urban centers and bleak stretches of industrial land. As part of the plan, the river, along with its tributaries, would be reengineered to improve the reclamation of runoff water.
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Architects Tensho Takemori and Anand Devarajan of Gehry Partners and Mark Hanna of Geosyntec will be on hand for Saturday's listening session.
