Unlocking the Potential of the LA Riverway: TOD and Land Value Capture Strategies

This policy brief examines the potential for land value capture (LVC) strategies to fund the completion of the Los Angeles River Bikeway (LARiverWay) through the San Fernando Valley, a critical gap in the city’s active transportation network. Despite strong regional momentum around river revitalization, several segments remain unfunded. This report analyzes three incomplete segments—4, 5, and 7—through a one-mile radius land use, demographic, and zoning study. Findings reveal divergent development patterns north and south of the river. The north side exhibits more flexible zoning, higher renter-occupancy rates, and stronger housing demand, suggesting greater LVC feasibility. In contrast, the south side is constrained by single-family zoning and lower growth. The report recommends tailoring LVC tools, such as commercial linkage fees, to fit neighborhood conditions. It also proposes reclassifying the bikeway as a transit corridor to unlock Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) incentives and revising outdated overlays to support higher-density development. Additionally, the report advocates for expanding or supplementing the existing Project Impact Assessment (PIA) fee and forming public-private partnerships with commercial stakeholders. If implemented, these strategies could equitably finance the bikeway while fostering mixed-use growth and improved access to transit, recreation, and housing.