Seeing the Los Angeles River in Whole New Way

We seem to have an app for everything. Now we have one that walks a viewer through the river’s history from the pre-historic era to the present.

2 minute read

August 19, 2020, 11:00 AM PDT

By Clement Lau


Los Angeles River Bike Path

clayton harrison / Shutterstock

The Los Angeles River is 51 miles long and spans through 17 cities and unincorporated Los Angeles County. The river encompasses an 834-square-mile watershed and flows from its headwaters at river mile 51 in Canoga Park within the city of Los Angeles to river mile zero at Long Beach, where the river meets the Pacific Ocean. The L.A. River was channelized between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries to protect lives and property from flooding as the L.A. region rapidly grew and transformed to a largely urbanized area. Today, one million people live within one mile of the river.

To help folks learn more about and better appreciate the L.A. River, there is now the "Rio de Los Angeles" app. This new augmented reality app was produced by RYOT, a production studio run by Verizon Media that specializes in interactive and immersive experiences, in collaboration with digital studios Vrai Pictures and Superbright. According to Jake Sally, head of development at RYOT, “The L.A. River is amazing, but it’s also hundreds of pages and graphs and data sets, and they are not accessible,” he says. “So can we build a depth of understanding? ... How can people who are in the immediate proximity to the river have a greater understanding of how their small piece fits into the larger context?”

The free app offers a fun, interactive experience for iPhone and iPad that walks a viewer through some of the river’s history from the pre-historic era to the present. Just point your iPhone or iPad at a flat surface and a 3-D map of the Los Angeles Basin loads up on the screen. From there, a menu of options walks the viewer through the river’s history, from the shifting waterway on a broad flood plain to the channelized water body encased in concrete. The app was developed using data from various sources, including historic archives and the L.A. River Index, a research database assembled by River LA, one of the groups involved in the planned redevelopment of the river through an update of the L.A. River Master Plan.

River L.A. has been leading the coordination of an extensive community engagement and outreach process for the Master Plan. This effort was launched by L.A. County Public Works to update the original 1996 master plan, synthesizing more recent ideas for portions of the River and bringing a comprehensive vision to the transformation of the L.A. River.

Thursday, July 30, 2020 in Los Angeles Times

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 9, 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

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

5 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

6 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

7 hours ago - Bloomberg