Alfred Fraijo

The LA River is 50 miles long of, mostly, undeveloped land which touches 17 different municipalities. Many interested constituencies, for years, have hoped to take advantage of the potential opportunities of the waterway. In 1996, LA County developed its first master plan to address these opportunities. The plan, which was last updated in 2022, includes many goals, among them flood control, more parks and recreation, affordable housing and river access. VX News presents this excerpt from a ULI panel moderated by SOMOS founder Alfred Fraijo, featuring Mark Pestrella, the director of LA County Public Works, who updates the Plan’s buildout, the history of the waterway, civic engagement of stakeholders, governance issues, and the sheer amount of potential to be found along the LA River.