NELA River Collaborative Forms Community Advisory Committee
The NELA River Collaborative project builds upon the growing momentum of efforts already underway to transform the Los Angeles River into a "riverfront district" and to create a focal point of community revitalization. For more information on the collaborative visit our website ( www.mylariver.org )
KCET Departures is the media partner of the Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront Collaborative.
TheNortheast Los Angeles River Collaborative (NELA RC)recently met with community members from Cypress Park, Glassell Park, Atwater Village, and Elysian Valley to discuss the formation of a working advisory committee that will potentially contribute vital feedback for the future of the L.A. River and its surrounding communities. The meeting, held at the River Center in Cypress Park, consisted of a diverse group of local activists, neighborhood council members, artists, and business owners.
The advisory committee will have several objectives. They will be called upon to advise on the policy plans of partners involved in the NELA RC, and take part in outreach events in order to pose questions to their communities regarding. They will also have the opportunity to provide recommendations on the design and planning aspects of the revitalization of the L.A. River and surrounding neighborhoods.
Part of the afternoon also involved a map making exercise in which potential advisory committee members were asked to create personal maps of their communities. Through these maps, the attendees told their local stories as they explained their process in choosing their "hotspots" -- a favorite park, memorable street, or area in need of change.
We will continue to report on the progress of the advisory committee and the important feedback garnered from these communities, right here on this blog. In the meantime, you can see some examples of the personal maps created by the community members in the images below.