Can the Los Angeles River Reclaim a Starring Role?

From its mountain tributaries, to the San Fernando Valley, through Downtown, and across the basin into the Pacific Ocean, Christian MilNeil tells the story behind the ecological and recreation rehabilitation of the Los Angeles River.

2 minute read

August 3, 2012, 7:00 AM PDT

By Andrew Gorden


Unarguably one of the region's most photographed and filmed landmarks, the Los Angeles River's miles of concrete-lined channels have appeared in numerous films, advertisements, and music videos. Now advocates are hoping to rehabilitate the river's post-apocalyptic appearance by tying in aspects of ecology and livability.

Christian MilNeil, writing for Grist, takes the reader on a four-part tour of the river, from its start in the mountains above the San Fernando Valley to its mouth in Long Beach. Perhaps most interesting are his comments regarding how residents and visitors to the city interact with their river, from the sprawling and busy Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area, where the unpaved river returns to its wild roots for a short stretch, to the lifeless Confluence Park in the Glassel Park neighborhood, near the tangle of highway interchange viaducts that fly over the historic confluence of the L.A. River and the Arroyo Seco.

Then there's the famed stretch just east of Downtown Los Angeles, with its art deco bridges, power lines, railroads, and near-complete isolation from the rest of the city. Here, many of the most interesting and largest plans to rehab the river are taking place. Plans include "re-wilding" the river with an unpaved bottom and lining its banks with parks and redevelopment. And though "[a]ll this sounds pretty good to sustainability advocates - and to a growing number of political leaders..., until Los Angeles embraces those broader changes...restoration efforts like the one at Tujunga Wash [in the San Fernando Valley] will end up spending more tax money...to achieve less."

Read more about the Los Angeles River in MilNeil's four-part series in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Saturday, June 30, 2012 in Grist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight