G A R D E N S , C O M M U N I T I E S , PA R K S , U R B A N D E S I G N
The river waterfront in Bilbao, Spain, shown in Figure 6.29A was not previously accessible to the public as the river was considered a working river used for shipping and lined with warehouses and industries. With the construction of the Guggenheim Museum at the water’s edge, the city began a cultural rebirth, as part of a larger process in the city’s ambition to reinvent itself as a tourist attraction and more diversified economy. The boat mooring and warehousing functions were replaced by a continuous park and promenade connecting new visitor venues such as the Guggenheim Museum, residential living, and commercial establishments. Dramatic and extensive outdoor lighting extended the use of the river edge into the evening. Just about any city with a river flowing through it has traditionally turned its back to the river for recreation and cultural functions. The tide, so to speak, has turned and as the remnants of the industrial revolution have outlived their economic usefulness, cities now foresee new economic and social advantages by making their water edges more attractive and increasing the livability and health of the city. The Paseo de Santa Lucia River walk in Monterrey, Mexico, is a 1.6 mile (2.3 km) reconstructed drainage canal connecting the central downtown to a park and entertainment venue in what was previously an industrial steel mill plant (Figure 6.29B). The water body in Figure 6.30 was once a nearly invisible flow of water buried in the urban fabric of a densely populated historical neighborhood in Beijing. The neighborhood was supplanted with the construction of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic venue. As part of the planning and design of the project, the river was restored with a park-like greenway, complete with reconstructed wetlands. Trails were constructed along the greenway and, as can be seen in Figure 6.30, a boardwalk and viewing platform were included in the design to allow public access to the water’s edge. The plant species for the wetlands along the river edge were selected to perform a water cleansing function as well as wildlife habitat. Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas, (see Figure 5.27 on p. 105) is another example of a nearly forgotten watercourse that for years was considered an eyesore and a threat to adjacent neighborhoods due to flooding during periodic heavy rains and storms. The City of Houston, like so many urban areas, had turned its back to the water’s edge, not seeing the multiple advantages of visual and
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Figure 6.29 A: Bilbao waterfront promenade, Bilbao, Spain; B: Paseo de Santa Lucia walk, Monterrey, Mexico, by Enrique Albarroa, landscape architect.
Figure 6.30 Beijing 2008 Olympic Park waterfront and river restoration, Beijing, China. 133
