A Century of L.A. River History
Clip: Season 5 Episode 1 | 1m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
The L.A. River's reputation has evolved, from raging waterway to industrial corridor.
The L.A. River's reputation has evolved over the past century, from a raging waterway, to a necessary infrastructure solution, to an industrial corridor that begs for revitalization. While officials built a concrete channel to tame the watershed, the communities that were hemmed at its banks began questioning if they could co-exist with a more natural river space instead. Spearheaded by Lewis Mac
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Earth Focus is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal
A Century of L.A. River History
Clip: Season 5 Episode 1 | 1m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
The L.A. River's reputation has evolved over the past century, from a raging waterway, to a necessary infrastructure solution, to an industrial corridor that begs for revitalization. While officials built a concrete channel to tame the watershed, the communities that were hemmed at its banks began questioning if they could co-exist with a more natural river space instead. Spearheaded by Lewis Mac
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipWhen people talk about the origins of the river channel, they often start with the flood of 1938, which killed at least 87 people, destroyed a ton of property, and caused city leaders to panic.
But it wasn't the first destructive flood on the river.
It was more like the last straw.
After the flood, the city, county, and Army Corps of Engineers came together to embark on a decades-long project to master the river.
Technologically, channelization was a massive feat of engineering, but socially, the construction of the channel had long-lasting consequences for those living near its banks, which hemmed communities of color into industrial corridors, where they suffered from polluted air, toxic industrial sites, and lack of green space.
And while the channel did its job and prevented flooding, after 50 years, people began to question its logic.
In the 1990s, a movement emerged arguing we should restore the river to its natural state.
Spearheaded by poet Lewis MacAdams, activists demanded that we re-center the river in public life, and they convinced a generation of Angelenos to care about the river.
They were so successful that river restoration became official city policy under Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Frank Gehry Designs SELA Platform Parks and Cultural Center
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Clip: S5 Ep1 | 3m 12s | Frank Gehry's team has proposed a cultural center and platform parks in South Gate. (3m 12s)
L.A. River: What Would Happen if Concrete is Removed?
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Clip: S5 Ep1 | 5m 24s | How realistic is the dream of a 51-mile connected green space along the L.A. River? (5m 24s)
Reimagining the Los Angeles River (Preview)
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Preview: S5 Ep1 | 30s | The L.A. River is reimagined through explorations of history, hydrology, and architecture. (30s)
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Earth Focus is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal