L.A. River Restoration Challenged by Gentrification, Environmental Concerns

"Los Angeles’s twin challenges of building more housing while restoring its namesake waterway are clashing along a shady 11-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River between downtown and the hills of Griffith Park," according to an article by Louis Sahaguan.

A seven-acre, 419-unit development known as the Casitas Lofts provides the article's example of the clash between the twin challenges described by Sahaguan. "Proponents tout it as a potential gateway to the new Bowtie State Park and a catalyst for enlivening more of the river with snazzy development and bike trails," according to Sahaguan. "But opponents — including many nearby residents, the influential nonprofit Friends of the Los Angeles River and the Natural Resources Defense Council — contend the development would disrupt habitat restoration efforts, trigger gentrification and erode the area’s allure."