8:00 – 9:00 am

Registration and continental breakfast

9:00 – 10:30 am

Summit Discussion 1:
River Placemaking

Discussion detailing the various activities and parks across the 51 mile LA River has encouraged greenspace development and is changing the way people interact with the River. Panelists will share successful design and implementation strategies, including how they engage communities as part of their process:

• LA River Master Plan Update.
  Mark Pestrella, Los Angeles County Public Works – Invited
• Successful design methods to engage communities.
  Mia Lehrer, Studio MLA
• Opportunities and challenges.
  Viviana Franco, From Lot to Spot

Session Moderator: Glen Dake, DakeLuna

10.45am – 12.15pm

Summit Discussion 2:
Best Practices of River Revitalization efforts across the country and across the world – Lessons Learned

• 11th Street Bridge, Washington DC.
  Scott Kratz
• Tempe Town Lake, Rio Salado, Arizona.
  Bonnie Richardson
• “Room for the River”, Netherlands
  Netherlands Representative
• Los Angeles River Revitalization
  City of Los Angeles

12.15 – 1.30 pm

LUNCH | Keynote Speaker:

Barbara Romero,
Deputy Mayor for City Services,
City of Los Angeles

1:30 – 3:00 pm

Summit Discussion 3:
Solving the River’s Growth Challenges

Across the 51 mile LA River, the success of revitalization and inspiring a nature-based river is causing positive and negative impacts to the communities in and around the River. What can cities do to balance economic equity while continuing to inspire these changes?

• The purpose of economic incubators to stimulate local entrepreneurship
  Brent Imai, OmniWorks
• RMC’s River Incubator:  The emerging regional role of the River Economy
  Mark Stanley, Rivers & Mountains Conservancy
• “Own the Asset”: The function of worker cooperatives to maintain local ownership of businesses along the river corridor
  Gilda Haas, L.A. Co-op Lab
• “Own the Asset 2”: The function of Community Land Trusts to building local capacity for stakeholders along the River corridor
  Isela Gracian, East LA Community Corp

Session Moderator: Jose Gardea, Urbanism Advisors

3:00 – 3:15 pm

Afternoon Break

3.15 – 4.45pm

Summit Discussion 4:
Financing and the Role of Local Government: Improvements for River Revitalization

Discussion of the funding mechanisms being used to implement the various projects identified in various plans and the implementation challenges and opportunities they present.

• Special Finance Districts (EIFDs, BIDs, RIO Zones).
  Joe Dieguez, Kosmont Companies
• Private/Public Investment Models
  Tuyen Mai, Ernst & Young
• San Antonio River Authority, Texas
  Steven Schauer, San Antonio River Authority
• The Role of State Conservancies
  Joe Edmiston, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy

Session Moderator:
Cynthia Guzman, Estolano LeSar Advisors,
Board Member, LA Regional Water Control Board

4.45 – 5.30pm

Cocktails, Refreshments

5.30 – 7.30pm

RMC Dinner & Celebration

MC: Mark Stanley, Rivers & Mountains Conservancy

• Keynote Speaker: Speaker of the California State Assembly, Anthony Rendon
• Video presentation and highlights of key projects funded by the RMC during these past 20 years in partnership with grantees including cities, non-profit organizations, JPA’s, and regional entities.

Harbor Cruise | Maximum number of participants: 40

Participants will enjoy a guided 45-minute tour that will highlight the harbor and includes information about both the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers and the edge of the watersheds. Participants will enjoy the Long Beach skyline, California Sea Lions playing in the harbor, the historic Queen Mary, large cargo and container ships from all over the world, and much more.

Start Time

1:30 pm

Meeting Location

Entrance of Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach

100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802

Duration

Approx 1.5 hours

Cruise Duration – 45 mins

Compton Creek Tour of Equestrian Sites |
Maximum number of participants: 30

Hosted by George Magallanes, Compton Creek Revitalization

This activity includes a tour of key locations along Compton Creek, tributary of the LA River, including the Compton Creek Natural Park and the Compton Creek bike path. Participants will get an overview of the history of equestrians in an urban environment like Compton and their Richland Farms community and visit the Compton Jr. Equestrians and their equestrian facility, which serves inner city youth and offers horseback riding and academic achievement to participants.

Tour ends with lunch at Cliff’s Texas Style Burritos in Compton.

Start Time

9:00 am

Meeting Location

Compton Creek Natural Park

941 W Cressey St, Compton, CA 90222

Duration

3 hours

Lunch at Cliff’s Texas Style Burritos

Kayaking in the LA River Recreation Zone |
Maximum number of participants: 16

Hosted by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA)

This excursion includes a 2-mile kayaking trip in the LA River in the Sepulveda Basin, along braided channels, while enjoying tranquil pools, and easy paddling. The LA River Recreation Zone provides access to recreate and explore two sections of the Los Angeles River including boating, fishing and bird watching. The River Recreation Zone is managed by the Mountains Recreation & Conservancy Authority in coordination with the City, Army Corps of Engineers, and County.

Use of kayaks and equipment (including helmets, personal flotation devices, and paddles) included. This activity will allow participants to enjoy a perspective that was not publicly accessible for the last several decades.

Start Time

9:00 am

Meeting Location

Van Nuys

Location to be provided

Duration

Approx 2.5 hours

Lunch will be provided

LA River Bus Tour | Maximum number of participants: 40

In coordination with LA County Public Works—Flood Control Division

Site visits of key locations along the 51miles of the LA River. Includes walking tour and lunch at the Confluence of the LA River with the Rio Hondo (a key location along the Lower LA River) highlighting projects in several stages of progress including planning and conceptual stages: Urban Orchard, Parque Dos Rios, a community cultural center, and a river-themed small business incubator.

Locations include:

• Marsh Park, G2 Parcel, Los Angeles
• 1st Street Bridge, Downtown Los Angeles
• LA River Bike Gap, Vernon 
• Confluence of LA River and Rio Hondo, South Gate
• Dominguez Gap Wetlands, Long Beach
• Willow Street, Long Beach (time permitting)

Start Time

8:00 am

Continental Breakfast

9:00 am

Shuttles depart 

Meeting Location

Los Angeles River Center

570 W Ave 26 #100, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Duration

Approx 4-5 hours

Lunch will be provided

Participants will meet at the River Center and will board shuttles that will visit the tour locations.

At the conclusion of tour, participants will be shuttled back the Los Angeles River Center

Fishing in the LA River: Elysian Valley |
Maximum number of participants: 25

Hosted by Trout Unlimited

Participants will take a tour of Marsh Park along the LA River and join Trout Unlimited as they chase the fish of the LA River! The LA River was once home to historic runs of steelhead trout and is now populated year round by bass, catfish, and big carp. Loaner poles will be available for both spinning rods and fly rods. Even if you don’t want to fish, feel free to join in fish “spotting.” It is incredible to see huge, wild fish only 5 minutes from downtown LA.

Catch and release recreational fishing.

Start Time

8:00 am

Meeting Location

Marsh Park

2945 Marsh Street, Los Angeles, California 90039

Duration

Approx 2–3 hours

Lunch will be provided