Connecting the Soil Towers: A Meandros Bike Ride

CONNECTING THE SOIL TOWERS: A Meandros Bike Ride is an urban bike ride traversing Los Angeles’s Ballona watershed while drawing connections between communities, ecologies, and soil. This group bike ride will begin at the 18th Street Arts Center’s Meandros soil towers in Santa Monica; from 18SAC we will ride to the next sister soil tower at Crenshaw Dairy Mart; from there we will proceed to the soil tower at LA EcoVillage, and conclude at the site of the original Meandros soil tower—Metabolic Studio. This ride will be taken over the course of a full day in segments and intervals where riders and soil-enthusiasts can join or drop-out at whichever segment they wish... OR, join us for the full 30-mile ride! The ride will conclude at Metabolic Studio’s Optimist Day celebration in Chinatown! Meandros exists as a means to reimagine urban ecological restoration in Los Angeles. Imagined by Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio, Meandros prompts viewers to consider how the rainwater cycle, often disrupted by urban infrastructure, can be restored as a vital system within the urban environment. The project reflects on the material consequences of development, such as landslides and flooding, while proposing creative and ecological solutions to reconnect natural processes with urban living. The Meandros columns stand as monuments to resilience and regeneration, offering a way to envision cities that work in harmony with natural systems rather than against them. Bicycle riding and bike-culture operate in a similar fashion. We ride to enact and envision a world in which humans live in closer harmony with their surroundings and environment. Partner organizations for this event includes: Metabolic Studio, Crenshaw Dairy Mart, and LA EcoVillage. Event Schedule: 10:00am - Meet at 18th Street Arts Center 11:30am - Arrive at Crenshaw Dairy Mart 1:00pm - Arrive at LA EcoVillage 2:00pm - Optimist Day at Metabolic Studio