FRI-D04: Disrupting the System: L.A.’s Waterways as Community Catalyst

Friday, October 10, 2025

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM CT

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW

Speaker(s)

Robin Mark, LEED AP

Director of Partnerships
SALT Landscape Architects
Los Angeles, California
Michelle O'Connor (she/her/hers)

Trails Planning Manager
County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation
Alhambra, California
Roxan Rivas (they/them/theirs)

Deputy Director of Capital Projects and Planning
Pacoima Beautiful
Pacoima, California

In park-starved Los Angeles, community organizations, government leaders, and landscape architects are transforming channelized waterways into green spaces. Resources for this model, however, are scarce. This session examines how partners are working collaboratively to navigate through complex regulatory frameworks to green Los Angeles.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the critical role of collective action in developing public benefit projects.
Understand ways to overcome the devastating impacts to public infrastructure without consistent sources of funding for operations and maintenance.
Learn strategies for leveraging private dollars to push complicated public projects forward.
Explore the importance of authentic partnerships in developing community-centered projects.