Project 51: Play the LA River

Allison Carruth
English
UC Los Angeles

The LA River revitalization initiatives represent ongoing efforts to create a sustainable, equitable future for the greater LA region. Project 51 aimed to address the challenge that most communities have little knowledge of the 51-mile River’s history or current life as a public space. While revitalization efforts require acts of re-engineering, they also require acts of re-imagination. Despite wonderful efforts, public education and civic engagement around the River is lagging behind civil engineering and public policy. A campus-community collaboration, Project 51 brought thousands of people to the River through the development of an interactive booklet, web companion, and event series highlighting 51 River sites. Our goal centered on allowing a diverse multi-ethnic and socio-economic communities to connect with the River via activities that invite communities to eat, to play, and to dance.