Turning a River into Infrastructure to Accommodate the Rise of the Megacity Called Los Angeles, California
[2021] SUPERFISKY and Jessica M. Henson co-authored a “primer” on the Los Angeles River for Elsevier’s Imperiled: The Encyclopedia of Conservation.
The 51-mile Los Angeles River flows through the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States in man-made concrete channels. Prior to its channelization during the 20th century, the river was a natural, free-flowing riparian ecosystem. The conversion of this natural system into an infrastructural system maximized production of the regulating ecosystem service of flood hazard mitigation, allowing a megacity to develop, but limited the array of other cultural and provisioning services this resource could also provide. Revitalizing the LA River includes reimagining the single-purpose flood management channel into a multi-benefit river with hydrological, environmental and socio-cultural value.
The Nature of Infrastructure: How Imperiled Ecosystems Like the Los Angeles River Provide Cultural Ecosystem Services and Health Benefits to Urban Residents
[2021] SUPERFISKY authored a chapter in Elsevier’s Imperiled: The Encyclopedia of Conservation, all about how important places like the Los Angeles River are, not just for the health of the environment, but for human communities, too.
Ecosystems in cities are essential to enhancing biodiversity, addressing climate change, and providing health and resilience at local, regional, national, and global scales. Enhancing ecosystems in cities improves the health of the Earth, and also provides urban residents with public health benefits. Connecting to elements and processes beyond the built environment provides an array of physical and mental health benefits, making access to “nature” in cities of critical importance. Even in their current condition, imperiled ecosystems, such as the Los Angeles River, can provide urban residents with essential access to nature and key ecosystem services, especially during a global health pandemic.