i first saw this at the venice bienalle last fall and was really wowed by the possibility, but i didn't realize it could be implemented so soon! the LA river, the channelized concrete waterway which has pretty much been neglected and regarded as unsafe and ugly over the past few decades, has finally been given a chance for a new makeover that would turn it into a recreational and communal space. LA officials released the master plan for its revitalization a few days ago and while it's costly and ambitious, would dramatically improve the urban landscape and bring back value into the river itself and surrounding greened neighborhoods. los angeles has never had a public space such as nyc's central park and needs one that serves as a retreat from city life and a common destination. the master plan includes 4 major goals: revitalize the river (improve water quality, make it publicly safe/accessible, restore the ecosystem), green the neighborhoods (create a continuous green riverway, incorporate open space and recreation into neighborhoods), capture community opportunities (educational/public facilities), and create value (develop housing, employment opportunities, commerce). check out their website; though the renderings are kind of bad the proposal is still put together well. this one hits close to home for me. as much as the LA river has been recognized famously as the concrete channel in countless movies like the racing scene in Grease...that man-made atrocity of a channel needs a new face.
la times article: costly LA river plan brings a raft of new ideas
la river revitalization master plan
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