Bridges and Walls: LA River, part 1

Eighty years ago -- on Feb. 27, 1938 -- rain started pouring on Los Angeles. The resulting floods washed out roads, bridges and thousands of homes. The devastation led to total channelization that would forever shape Los Angeles.

Andrew Bird plays violin under the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge in the Los Angeles River. Photo credit: Avishay Artsy.

New bridges symbolize the changing river

How did we get here?

Artists respond to a changing river

SABER and the illegal wildstyle graffiti piece he made on the LA River in 1997. Photo credit: Jonathan Shook.

“They always tried to deter people from painting down there but because it was such a vast space, it opened up a certain adventurous mindset as a kid,” he said.

Advocating for a greener river

California Arts Council, a state agency.

KCRW.com/BridgesandWalls

More

• DnA’s “Bridges and Walls” coverage

• DnA: The Index: Gehry’s Deep Dive into the LA River

• DnA: Does Frank Gehry Have the Answers for the LA River?

• DnA Goes Camping. . . On the L.A. River?

• DnA: Sixth Street Bridge Goes Out with Splash

• The Bigger Picture: Competing Visions of the Los Angeles River’s Future

• Can the L.A. River Avoid "Green Gentrification"?

• The G2 Parcel: Let’s Get Real on the Los Angeles River