Abstract

The Los Angeles River is a connector between the urban and the ecological, with challenges like biodiversity loss, flood risk, and the urban heat island effect. Trying to solve those challenges requires a balance between ecological restoration and flood protection. Recognizing this as an urgent situation, the LA River Ecosystem Restoration project has proposed changing this concrete channel into an ecological, resilient river channel. The proposal aims to bring wildlife back to increase biodiversity, enlarge the water surface, and reduce the flood risk by using geo-blocks. These geo-blocks, including tree structure, fiber structure, and bulk structure, can offer habitat for vegetation and wildlife, and create a green ecosystem in the river. Using the geo-blocks can cool the river and mimic the floodplain so that it can mitigate the urban heat island effect and create a comfortable environment for both wildlife and surrounding residents. Depending on different approaches, the Los Angeles River will perform various roles to solve the current problems and become a representative model of ecological restoration and community resilience.

Key Words

Cooling Strategies, habitat restoration, flood protection, geo-texture, concrete bank