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Thisissuehasbeenreceivedbyover15,000+architects,designers,builders,developers,engineers,construction&Infrastructureprofessionalsbesides

RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT -SomeThoughtsandGuidelines

"Awaterfrontisasignificantresourceandachallengingopportunityforacity
achancetobeanescapevalveforthepressurecookerofcrowdedcitylife,
achancetobeabright,breathingedgeofcityliving."

BrightBreathingEdgesofCityLife.
PlanningforAmenityBenefitsofUrbanWaterResources

ArthurCottonMoore

Peopleareinherentlydrawntowater,hencetheimportanceofwaterfrontdevelopment.Itisthelureof
water, its sparkle, its reflection, its endless movement and change that both captures man's
imaginationandprovidesavarietyofopportunitiesfrombusinesstorecreation,fromactivetopassive
activities.Waterisadefiningforcethatfundamentallyshapesthecharacterofeachplaceittouches.
Riversiteshavebeenanimportantpartofcitydevelopmentsinceearlycivilizations.Theroleofwater
intransport,industry,sanitationandnourishmentmadeittheraisond'etreofhumansettlement.
Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in nationwide interest in restoring urban
rivers, whether for open space or recreational purposes or as a catalyst for economic development.
Allacrossthecountry,citiesthatonceturnedtheirbacksontheirriversarenowwelcomingthemwith
openarms.Seventypercentofthe415citiesintheUnitedStateswhichhavepopulationover50,000
and about thirty percent of the 520 cities which have a population in the range of 25,00050,000 are
locatedonthewater'sedge(river,lake,bayorocean).Manyofthesecitiesareinaneedofimproving
their image, in terms of places to work, live and visit. They have realized the importance and
opportunitiespresentedbybeinglocatedonthewaterfrontandareworkingtowardsdevelopinganew
and improved image. These cities have an advantage of inheriting rich natural, cultural and historic
values,andprovideawidevarietyofwaterorientedandenhancedrecreationalexperiences.

Fig.1:DeterioriationoftheriverYamuna
Source:www.jobsforgood.com

Riverfront sites with the greatest potential are often among the most ignored sections of our cities.
These sites are dirty, abused, derelict, and plagued by environmental issues: unstable landfills,
contaminatedsoilsandwater,losthabitats,disturbedartifacts,trappedsedimentarypollutants,etc.Floodingwasalsoamajorissueinalltownslocatedontheriver.
Rivers were straightened and lined with concrete to regulate their flow and control flooding. Cities turned their backs on them, while highway planners found these
abandonedriverbanksidealsitesfornewhighways.Cityresidentswerecompletelycutofffromtheirrivers.Despitetheseissuesriverfrontsarestillvalued.Nothing
quitecomparestotheexperienceofbeingclosetothewatersedge.
Today,citiesacrosstheworldseekariverfrontthatisaplaceofpublicenjoyment.Theywantariverfrontwherethereisamplevisualandphysicalpublicaccessall
day, all year to both water and the land. Cities also want a riverfront that serves more than one purpose: they want it to be a place to work and live as well as a
placetoplay.Inotherwords,theywantaplacethatcontributestothequalityoflifeinallofitsaspectseconomic,socialandcultural.Riverfrontscanbroadlybe
classifiedas
Cultural Riverfronts They provide a sense of community, opportunity for festivity, artistic
expression,recreationandcommercialbustle.
Environmental Riverfronts "Design with nature", might include shore stabilization, wetland
preservation,prairierestorationetc.
Historic Riverfronts "A sense of uniqueness and character" to a place. They provide a special
educationalexperiencetoapersonbypreservingtheculturalheritageoftheplace.
Mixeduse Riverfronts The mixeduse waterfront projects include a mix of retail, housing, office,
restaurant,openspaceetc.Theycanprovideadynamicspacecontainingvariousactivitiesblended
tocomplementeachother.
Recreational Riverfronts "The place of community gathering". They provide various recreational
opportunities for people such as parks, gardens, picnic areas, walking, cycling and water related
activitiesincludingboating,fishing,etc.
Fig.2:JoggingTrack,Yarrariver,Melbourne
Source:www.sydneyaustralia.com

ResidentialRiverfrontsHousingisaveryimportantelementinriverfrontdevelopment.Residential
developmentalsocreatesopportunitiesforotheractivitieslikeretail,recreation,restaurants.

WorkingRiverfrontsTheseriverfrontshavesomekindofriverrelatedactivityonsuchasfishing,boatrepair,etc.
Major riverfront development has occurred in the last 30 years as communities have started to realize this old asset. Riverfront revitalization contributes and often
plays an important role in restoring city centers and towns to economic, environmental and social health. A number of different factors led cities to reclaim their
riverfronts

Environmental cleanup In 1970s the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were created as a
result of various environmental movements. Federal water cleanup began in 1970s and constituted one of the largest public works programs ever. This led to
changingtheimageofriversfrombeingnegativefilthywatertobeingpositive,cleanedupandsourceofpublicinterest.
Flood control measures Construction of floodways to control the frequently flooding river from
damaging the surrounding development. Different flood control measures like straightening,
widening,realigningofriver,constructionofdamstoregulateflowofwaterinriveretccontributedin
makingcitiesalmostfreeoffloods.Thesemeasuresmadethefutureoftheriverpromising.
Preservation Ethic and Citycentre Comeback In the 1960s and 70s a number of environment
protectionlawswerepassed.Therewasalsoagrowingappreciationforhistoricpreservation.Allthis
contributed to a renewed interest in historic riverfronts and conserving old structures and restoring
degraded landscapes. The old structures were saved from destruction and adapted to new uses.
Communitycharacterwaspreservedmixedusewasintroducedtorevivecitycentre.
Government Assistance During the 1970s riverfronts were identified as potential development
areas. The government invested funds for their redevelopment because they stimulated more
economic,socialandculturalgrowthofthewholecity.
Recreation/Fitness Another reason for cities reclaiming their waterfronts was that they serve
recreationalpurposes.Theycouldbeusedforjogging,cycling,openareas,boating,fishingandother
active and passive uses. These activities along river edges served three purposes recreation,
healthierenvironmentandhealthierpeople.
Tourism Tourism improves the economic wealth of the city. The rejuvenated riverfronts attracted
thevisitors.Citiesdevelopedthemasdestinationstoexpandtheirtourismindustry.

Fig.3:OutdoorcafesalongRiverfront
Source:Author

River reclamation is not easy as it involves a myriad of problems, ranging from riparian rights of
adjacent property owners to public perception of the value of public space. This, along with other land use and zoning issues and liabilities, creates issues for the
riverfront development. One cannot copy the design of a successful riverfront and apply it to some other place because it can lead to failure. With greater
understanding of the environmental and social issues inherent in riverfront sites and a commitment to a sensitive approach, it is possible in the process of
redevelopingtheriverfront,toimprovetheenvironmentratherthandegradeitandensurevibrantcoexistence.Someofthekeyissuesforriverfrontdevelopmentare
History and Location History plays an important role in shaping a place. Each riverfront has a
differentcontextandhistory.Itgivesanyplaceitsuniqueidentity.Historicbuildingscanberestored
forms can be derived from architectural or historical features and used symbolically as signage,
sculptureetc.Itcanalsobeusedtoeducatepeopleabouttheplace.
Location,topography,soils,climate,existingurbanfabricandlanduse,movementpattern,etc.help
shape the riverfront and proposing the future development. For example development in a northern
regionwillbequitedifferentfromthatofonelocatedinsouthernarea,althoughthebasicfunctionswill
bethesame.
Environmental issues There are several environmental issues related to riverfront development.
New development should be sensitive to the natural habitats in the ecosystem. There are other
environment hazards like floods or toxic residues of abandoned industrial sites. These factors must
be taken into account and desirable solutions should be proposed to maintain safety along urban
riverfronts.
Fig.4:WaterTaxiRides,SanAntonioriverfront
Source:Author

Riverfrontdevelopmenthasmajorimpactontheenvironmentbecauseofhugeamountofconstruction
and accommodating greater number of people on the site. Interaction with the river has become
important for planning of sustainable development. This can be addressed by selecting building
materials, heights, native plants for landscaping, reusing disturbed areas and building within the

context.
Theriverfrontredevelopmentprojectscanhaveafavorableeffectonwaterqualitybecausethewaterpollutionistakencareofandalsothesurroundinglandusesare
improved. Zoning restrictions control the inappropriate land uses. The appropriate development of land also brings more local citizens and tourists who have a
favorableimpactoneconomy.
Bank stabilization Another significant design issue is dealing with various bank stabilization
alternativestopreventbankerosion.Sincepeoplewanttoaccesstheriveritisimportanttokeepin
mind the accessibility factor along with bank stabilization measures. The city should develop
desirablesolutionforbankstabilizationasperthelanduseandrequirement.
PublicAccessibilityPeoplearedrawntowater.Humaninteractionwithwateristhemostimportant
partofariverfrontdevelopment.Peoplewanttoreachit,feelithenceitbecomesverynecessaryto
provide accessibility to water. Trails, walkways, beaches, along rivers provide a lot of opportunities
forpeopletobenearorintheriver.Thereshouldbemultipleentrypointstotheriversoastohavea
successfulriverfrontwithactiveuse.
Walkways are significant in defining the movement pattern on the site. They are also physical
pedestrian linkages between different parts of the site. They should be planned as to increase the
interaction of people with the river. The banks of the river can be linked not just visually but
physically.
PublicspaceRiverfrontsarepublicspaces.Theycanbeusedforavarietyofactivitiesbythecity
people, e.g. a festive gathering place, a variety of recreation resources (active and passive), a city
landmark,mixeduse,residential,retailetc.
Visual connectivity The building layouts and structures should be designed so as to not block
views of the river. The presence and view of the river from various locations on the site add as an
asset to the surrounding development and add to the success of a project. The public views should
bedesignedandtheyshouldbemadeinterestingwithmaterials,textures,buildingfacades,etc.

Fig.5:Fishingalongriveredge
Source:Author

Riverfront Use Existing activities like fishing, boating, repair yards etc. along the river give it a character. Newer development should not totally take away the
existing activities going around the riverfront. The newer proposal should try to mix a lot of activities so as to have an interesting mix of seemingly dissimilar
activities.Zoningorlimitingdifferentkindsofactivitiesandnotmixingthemtogethermightnotturnouttobesuccessfulriverfront.
LiabilityBuildingnearwatercanbehazardousforpeople.Witheasyaccessibilitytowaterthereare
certainliabilitieslikedrowningorfallingfromwalkwayswithnorailingonthem.
Education/InterpretationHistoricallymanycitiescameintoexistencebecauseofthepresenceof
a river. Riverfront redevelopment offers opportunity for a city to educate its residents and visitors
aboutthecitiesculturalheritage.Itcanbedonebyrestoringoldstructurestonewuseslikemuseums
ortheriveredgeitselfalsooffersanopportunityforeducatingpeopleaboutasitesnaturalhistory.
Rivercorridorrepresentsgreatestchallengeandgreateropportunitytoredefineacity.Tounderstand
theopportunitiesavailablealongtherivercorridor,itrequiresunderstandingthehistoricalroleofriver
in the development and the unique combination of factors that influence the urban riverfront
development. The development should therefore be sensitive to geography, culture, timing, existing

Fig.6:walkwaysalongriveredge
Source:Author

development,oldstructuresandactivities.Withagreaterunderstandingoftheenvironmentalissues
inherentinriverfrontsitesandacommitmenttoanenvironmentallysensitiveapproach,itispossible,
intheprocessofredevelopingtheriverfront,toimprovetheenvironmentratherthandegradeit.Urban
riverfrontprojectshaveapositiveimpactonwaterquality,becausetherenewedinterestinriverfronts

alsofocusesonimprovingthesurroundinglanduse.
Theplanforthecommunityismorethanbuiltforms.Itisdesignedforthepeoplewholiveandvisit
there. Several cities have effectively reused riverfront sites and buildings, both for economic
developmentandforrecreationalandculturalactivities.Thekeyissuesinrevitalizingthepotentialof
riverfrontsare:tocleantheriverfront,tolive,workandshopsnearthewater,tospendleisuretimeon
thewater,createconnectionbetweentheriverbanks,designofbuildingfacades,etc.Todiscoverthe
potentialofarivercorridor,itisessentialtodevelopabetterunderstandingoftheenvironmentalong
theriverfrontthatparticularjuncturewherelandmeetswater,terrestrialmeetsaquatic.Theriverfront
development is done to improve the image of the river corridor in terms of places to work, live and
visitandtomakeitacommunityasset.
References
[1]Wrenn,DouglasM.UrbanWaterfrontDevelopment,theUrbanLandInstitute.
[2]Fisher,Bonnie.RemakingtheUrbanWaterfront,theUrbanlandinstitute
[3]HeritageConservationandrecreationserviceUrbanWaterfrontRevitalization:theroleofRecreationandHeritage,Vol.1.
[4]Rigby,DickandBreen,AnnWaterfrontscitiesreclaimtheiredge.
[5]Torre,AzeoL.Waterfrontdevelopment.
[6]www.principal.com/riverwalk/riverwalk_faq.htm
[7]www.americanrivers.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AMR_riverfronts
[8]www.riverfront.org/riverfrontrecapture.asp

FirstAuthor:CharuAroraMathur
LandscapeArchitect
Asst.Prof.(MLA,B.Arch)
AmitySchoolofArchitectureandPlanning
AmityUniversity,Noida,U.P.
Mob.9871821485
Email:charu.arkitect@gmail.com

SecondAuthor:TanyaGupta
Architect
Asst.Prof.(B.Arch)
AmitySchoolofArchitectureandPlanning
AmityUniversity,Noida,U.P.
Mob.9971619065

Fig.7:Bankstabilizationoptions
Source:www.portlandonline.com/river