Planning for a Greener L.A. River

from: Hymon, Steve. "Planning for a Greener L.A. River," Los Angeles Times, 12 September 2005.

Is it the city's most prominent gutter or a river waiting to be reborn?

Residents of Los Angeles will soon have a chance to discuss the future of the city's namesake river.

Today, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilman Ed Reyes plan to announce 18 public meetings that are a prelude to a massive — and thus far largely unfunded — public works project to clean up the river, build parks along it and restore some sections to a more natural state.

"What we're doing here is discovering a new resource — the L.A. River," Reyes said. "How we go about it will establish the new face of the city."

One key item up for discussion: whether it's possible to remove portions of the river's concrete lining, installed beginning in the 1930s to keep low-lying areas from being inundated during winter storms.

As industry has left the core of many cities in the United States, there has been a push to revive urban waterways. . . .