Readers React: Can L.A. handle a revitalized river?

Your article on revitalizing a lengthy stretch of the Los Angeles River made it sound as if a bunch of kids had just found a vacant lot on the block. (“Big plans, and concerns, surround L.A. River’s revitalization,” May 24)

The environmentalists want to return the river to nature, the developers want to make money, and the politicians want to create jobs and help the economy. Only once in the article do the words “flood control channel” appear.

This is not an empty lot on the block; rather, it is a flood control channel that was designed and built to protect the life and property of the people of Los Angeles from the occasional flooding of the L.A. River.

When I was young, I lived in the Atwater district. I have seen the river with 50 feet of water crashing down the channel. What is going to happen if more of it is developed into “recreational opportunities” and other projects?

Bill Gardner

San Marino

Everyone worries about displacing working-class residents as land near the L.A. River becomes more attractive. But the answer isn’t to stop development, which amounts to continuing the old failed policies of disinvestment that led to endemic poverty in the first place.

Indeed, one key reason why people struggle to afford a place to live is that there aren’t enough new housing units to keep pace with demand.

Rather, we should recognize that it is good for neighborhoods to become safer and more livable, and make development beneficial for long-term residents. That means addressing the housing shortage while ensuring that those who have put in sweat equity share in the rewards.

For decades, L.A. deliberately segregated itself. The city has a duty to promote investment in neglected neighborhoods and certainly shouldn’t block new developments that create jobs and alleviate the housing shortage—but it should do so in a way that ensures existing communities are treated fairly.

Joseph Sanderson

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles River has historically been one of our city’s most underutilized and under appreciated natural resources. However, as partly evidenced by your article, that is finally beginning to change.

We are excited by this growing awareness of the river as a magnificent public resource, but with this awareness comes the need for a unifying vision for its entire 51 miles and its tributaries, helping to knit together the cities that line its banks. This vision must be established through a participatory, inclusive process that inspires the best of what the L.A. region can be, balancing the interests of all involved as all significant projects need to do.

We see the river as a place for collaboration, not competition.

Omar Brownson

Los Angeles

The writer is executive director of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corp.