Los Angeles: From the Ashes

Air pollution. Mudslides. Drought. Flooding. Traffic congestion. Urban blight. Fires. Earthquakes. Los Angeles is a sprawling metropolitan area whose pores are paved over with concrete. A thirsty city parched were it not for other people's water, obtained amid great and continuing controversy. Is it possible that this City of the Angels can tell a story to the world about environmental rebirth? We believe the answer is a resounding Yes! For years, Los Angeles has been the laughing stock of other cities around the globe. But this is about to change in at least one key area.

Because of several vital visionary pioneers, including TreePeople's founder and CEO Andy Lipkis, change has already begun. Andy has developed, formulated, and fought for the 10-year long T.R.E.E.S. Project (Trans-agency Resources for Environmental and Economic Sustainability). This project has already resulted in a transformation of how hundreds of millions of dollars in urban infrastructure are being spent and has caused the planning for an approximately $10 billion change in Los Angeles city's watershed management over the next 30 years.

Los Angeles is leading the way in the area of creating an integrated resources approach to urban restoration and sustainability. It is an approach that professionals from around the country and the world are reviewing for their urban environments and infrastructure requirements.