Publication: N.Y. Times

UCLA Expert: Jon Christensen: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Institute of the Environment & Sustainability; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Luskin Center for Innovation; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Center for Digital Humanities

Synopsis: Christensen spoke about the remaking of the L.A. River, and how the river made Los Angeles what it is today.

UCLA News: “Increasingly, the [L.A.] river has become a catalyst for talking not just about water but also equity, affordable housing, habitat restoration — all of it together,” Christensen said. “In 1996, many Angelenos didn’t know there was a river. Now they say they not only know the river exists but that they want it to be everything, that it represents all sorts of goals for the city, which you can call a problem, because some of the goals are contradictory and unrealistic, but is also a sign that the river is a place where dreams and hopes about the city are coming together. I’m not saying it is front-of-mind for most Angelenos. It isn’t. But it is helping to focus more attention on some of our big challenges.”

Read more at N.Y. Times.