Rivers have historically attracted the foundation of cities to their banks and are central to their development. They provide drinking water, a route for transport and trade, and resources for agriculture and energy. The Nile River in Egypt, the Tiber in Rome, Italy, or the Seine in Paris, France, are examples of their historical importance.
However, from the 17th century onwards, and especially with the Industrial Revolution, river banks were occupied by industries and large infrastructures, resulting in their degradation. The River Thames in London, UK, or the Cuyahoga in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, are just two of many examples. However, since the mid-twentieth century, but notably so far in the twenty-first, a growing ecological awareness is driving the recovery of riverbanks.
Projects such as the Cheonggyecheon in Seoul, South Korea, or Madrid Rio in Spain, have revitalised rivers running through urban centres. The renovation of the Hudson River in New York, USA, and the Spree River in Berlin, Germany, demonstrate that reclaimed rivers are engines of urban and economic renewal. Transformed into linear parks, these new public spaces, which integrate nature into the heart of cities, improve the quality of life and health of their inhabitants.
However, the current trend towards revitalisation means that riverfronts, real water arteries, are once again playing a prominent role in cities. After all, a balance between development and nature is essential for the well-being of the population and the urban future, in order to build more sustainable and liveable cities.
By Guillermo Ferrer, Senior Architect in the Architecture Department of Amusement Logic
