los angeles storm drainage development powerpoint (how urban drainage and flood-control...
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Los Angeles Storm Drainage Development: how urban drainage and flood-control infrastructure creates both real-estate value and flooding hazardsTRANSCRIPT
Urban Hydrological Infrastructure in Los AngelesSteve Duncan / UC Riverside ASEH Conference, Madison WI, March 31 2012
Los Angeles Storm Drainage development, 1910-2010
1910(Showing gravity mains [culverts] only, based on available records of drains with construction dates from LACFCD data)
Storm Drains 1910-2010: Los Angeles
creation of land-value in Los Angeles Shift from19th to 20th centuryBelow: Los Angeles region in 1880, with highlighting of natural waterway (in blue) and Zanja irrigation canals (in green)[Source: Hall, William Hamilton; Los Angeles and San Bernadino Topography,1880]
Los Angeles 19th Century: primarilyagricultural use of land as an economic driver (in which waterflows were seen as beneficial)
20th Century: the major cropproduced by Los Angeles becomes low-density housing tracts (in which waterflows are seen as destructive floods)
Drainage Infrastructure and the creation of land-value in Los Angeles20th Century: Capitalist urbanization i.e. commodification of land into saleable units for development, by primarily private developers becomes a major economic driver in the 20th century. Lowdensity housing tracts become the basic input of Los Angeles major mass production industry [Mike Davis]Below: Los Angeles in 1930. Storm drain culverts shown in green; open channels (natural and engineered) shown in blue
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Albers Projection
Los Angeles - Storm Drain culvert construction as of 1930
Central Meridian: -96 1st Std Parallel: 20 2nd Std Parallel: 60 Latitude of Origin: 40
Drainage Infrastructure and the creation of land-value in Los AngelesWaterways formerly thought of as bringing water TO the land for agriculture are reconceptualized as drainage channels to take water AWAY from residential and commercial developments Upstream urbanization (reduced permeability) and upstream drainage infrastructure creates increased waterflow impacting downstream areas during precipitation FLOODS0 1 2 4 6 8 Miles Albers Projection
Below: Los Angeles in 1930. Storm drain culverts shown in green; open channels (natural and engineered) shown in blue
Los Angeles - Storm Drain culvert construction as of 1930
Central Meridian: -96 1st Std Parallel: 20 2nd Std Parallel: 60 Latitude of Origin: 40
Below: Los Angeles in 1849
Ballona Creek in 1896 (USGS)
Ballona Creek, before 1920
Ballona Creek, 2011
Ballona Creek, 2011
Ballona Creek, 2011
Correlation between population growth and devastation of floods
Most Devastating floods in LA (As referenced by LACFCD) 1914 - $10 million in damage 1934
City of Los Angeles Population
1938 - $40 million in damage1969 - $400 million in damage Recent flooding: 1992 1993 1995 1998
1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
5,728 +30.6% 11,183 +95.2% 50,395 +350.6% 102,479 +103.4% 319,198 +211.5% 576,673 +80.7% 1,238,048 +114.7% 1,504,277 +21.5% 1,970,358 +31.0% 2,479,015 +25.8% 2,816,061 +13.6% 2,966,850 +5.4% 3,485,398 +17.5% 3,694,820 +6.0% 3,792,621 +2.6%
1890Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1900Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1910Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1920Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1930Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1940Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1950Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1960Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1970Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
1980Storm Drains 1910-2010: Downtown Los Angeles, West LALos Angeles River Channel on Right; Ballona Creek Channel on left
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Los Angeles - Storm Drain culvert construction and Median House Values By Steve Duncan, using basemaps by Philip Ethington
Albers ProjectionCentral Meridian: -96 1st Std Parallel: 20 2nd Std Parallel: 60 Latitude of Origin: 40
0
1.25 2.5
5
7.5
10 Miles
Los Angeles - Storm Drain culvert construction and Median House Values By Steve Duncan, using basemaps by Philip Ethington
Albers ProjectionCentral Meridian: -96 1st Std Parallel: 20 2nd Std Parallel: 60 Latitude of Origin: 40
0
1.25 2.5
5
7.5
10 Miles
Los Angeles - Storm Drain culvert construction and Median House Values By Steve Duncan, using basemaps by Philip Ethington
Albers ProjectionCentral Meridian: -96 1st Std Parallel: 20 2nd Std Parallel: 60 Latitude of Origin: 40
0
1.25 2.5
5
7.5
10 Miles
Los Angeles - Storm Drain culvert construction and Median House Values By Steve Duncan, using basemaps by Philip Ethington
Albers ProjectionCentral Meridian: -96 1st Std Parallel: 20 2nd Std Parallel: 60 Latitude of Origin: 40
0
1.25 2.5
5
7.5
10 Miles
Los Angeles - Storm Drain culvert construction and Median House Values By Steve Duncan, using basemaps by Philip Ethington
Albers ProjectionCentral Meridian: -96 1st Std Parallel: 20 2nd Std Parallel: 60 Latitude of Origin: 40
0
1.25 2.5
5
7.5
10 Miles
Los Angeles - Storm Drain culvert construction and Median House Values By Steve Duncan, using basemaps by Philip Ethington
Albers ProjectionCentral Meridian: -96 1st Std Parallel: 20 2nd Std Parallel: 60 Latitude of Origin: 40
Drainage Infrastructure and the creation of land-value in Los AngelesHow does drainage infrastructure and urbanization (changing the physical ecology of the urban environment) relate to changes in social, economic, and power relations in the urban environment?The following slides attempt to illustrate this process from 1940-1990 by mapping out the physical construction of storm drainage culverts over maps of relative home values in the Los Angeles region. Observations: 1. The greatest density of drainage infrastructure construction in each decade occurs in areas of relative LOW valuations. 2. These are also relatively LOW-LYING areas. As urbanization decreases permeability, these areas receive runoff from the surrounding areas of higher home valuations. 3. Over the period shown, the areas of increasing densities of drainage infrastructure correspond with growing areas of relatively low-valuation homes. This disparity increases over time, DESPITE THE SIMULTANEOUS INCREASE in drainage infrastructure in these areas. Conclusion: Drainage infrastructure development is REACTIVE and responds to crisis moments. Peri-urban development increases impermeability/runoff, causing flood crises in low-lying areas and drainage infrastructure construction reacts to these created crises. .
Drainage Infrastructure and the creation of land-value in Los AngelesHow does drainage infrastructure and urbanization (changing the physical ecology of the urban environment) relate to changes in social, economic, and power relations in the urban environment?The following slides attempt to illustrate this process from 1940-1990 by mapping out the physical construction of storm drainage culverts over maps of relative home values in the Los Angeles region.INTERPRETATIONS: Drainage infrastructure is a RESPONSE TO DEVELOPMENT, rather than a precondition to development. While responding to hydrological and economic changes of urban development, drainage infrastructure has also facilitated the continuation of the same processes capitalist urbanization. INSTEAD OF RESTORING HYDROLOGICAL EQUILIBRIUM, DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE OVER TIME HAS INCREASED THE DIS-EQUILIBRIUM OF THE URBAN WATER ECOLOGY. Urban drainage infrastructure, broadly considered, increases home values of upstream areas at the expense of downstream areas. INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION HAS HELPED PRODUCE A PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT SUSTAINS AND EVEN INCREASES INEQUALITES IN SOCIOECONOMIC POWER RELATIONSINCREASE in drainage infrastructure in these areas.
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