6533b7d6fe1ef96bd1266c79

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Connectivity of urban rivers and environmental justice

subject

description

With the explosion of urban waterfront revitalization projects in the developed world, it is timely to reflect on the relations between cities and their rivers: how the rivers influenced development of the cities, how cities have treated their riverfronts since 19th century, and how the spatial relations of city and river constrain and enable improved connectivity between urban populations and their rivers. Both celebrated as revitalizing neglected urban centers and criticized for displacing the disenfranchised populations, riverfront revitalization projects raise questions about what constitutes ‘restoration’ in cities, to what degree natural processes and ecological values can be restored in such contexts, and how sustainable ecological benefits will be in light of the altered processes of the urban context. We examine these projects through a framework of social connectivity in longitudinal, lateral, and vertical dimensions, focusing on the Saône and Rhône Rivers in Lyon, drawing comparisons to urban riverfronts across the globe. We consider how renewal projects have affected uses along riverfronts, some of which were river dependent, others river independent, and environmental justice implications of displacement of former uses for the uses that are established in their place.