LA River Vision 2050: Communities Reimagine Riverside Green Space

Green space, park access, and trees

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit) South LA San Fernando Valley San Gabriel Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

LAW has been at the forefront of this movement for 20+ years, advocating for river restoration, enforcing clean water protections and engaging communities through science and advocacy.
It’s clear that a resilient and equitable LA isn’t possible without addressing the LA River. The LA River was named America’s Most Endangered River® of 2022, highlighting the threat that poor river management, pollution, and climate change pose to river health, clean water, and communities. Communities living along the LA river face compounded environmental, social and health burdens, exposed to pollution, extreme heat and the most ‘park-poor’ nature deprived in LA county, particularly in South LA and San Fernando valley.
Communities are disconnected from the river’s few naturalized stretches. Even LAW’s volunteers often share they’d never been to these sites or even knew about them. While also degraded, sites serve as a lifeline to nature and an inspiration for a future vision of the LA river.

The LA River is approaching a critical moment, with passage of California Proposition 4, investing billions in climate and water resilience projects Angelenos have an opportunity to reclaim and transform their river and cocreate a vision of a climate resilient and ecologically restored waterway. Reconnecting communities to riverway green space and accelerating a movement of river advocates is critical to ensuring funds lead to a climate-resilient and equitable future for the LA River.
1) Watershed Outreach & Education Programs facilitate underserved communities access and engagement with nature areas along the river; Compton Creek and Glendale Narrows. Volunteers engage in water monitoring, clean up macro-pollution, make and distribute wildflower seed balls. Led by informative experts and encouraged to become River Champions joining LAW volunteer core.
2) LA county-wide engagement and awareness raising building a critical mass of empowered and informed Angelenos through a creative bi-lingual multimedia campaign, centering community voice and calls to action.
3) Communities empowered to co-create and envision a transformative and multi-benefit future river, with accessible green space, improved habitats for wildlife, community use and climate resilience through in-person art events collaborating with local galleries, academic partners, and online using interactive digital tools and resources on the LA River 2050 website. Linking and informing to future LA river projects.

Angelenos often perceive the river as a concrete channel devoid of green space. This project reframes the river as a vital space to reconnect with nature and empowers them to coauthor the river’s next chapter. Capitalizing on ongoing planning and advocacy on the LA river, the project builds a critical mass of Angelinos engaged in strengthening and expanding riverside green space.
The LA River Vision platform will strengthen community voices, awareness and accountability of decision makers. Thousands of residents will transform their relationship with the river, introduced to green space they’d never accessed. Volunteers trained to conduct enviro-science and advocacy for cleaner water, restored ecosystems, and public access to green space.
Ultimately as well as improving accessibility and health of riverside green space, impact will be felt across LA as Angelinos’ future vision of the river is made reality; expanding green space, mitigating pollution and improving climate resilience.