– 45 –
RIVERS AS GREEN SPACES IN
URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
D And ew B ookes
Uni ed Kingdom
1. “LOST RIVERS OF LONDON”
• Ri e s cul e ed, lined o enla ged
• Fauna and fl o a a ec ed by poo
wa e quali y
• Loss o ipa ian ege a ion
• E osion o banks, leading o bank
p o ec ion
• Nega i e iews o wa e cou ses
2. IMPORTANCE OF RIVER CORRIDORS
• P o ide na u al e uges and co ido s
o wildli e
• Imp o e fl ood s o age capaci y
• Connec communi ies
• Pubic open space p o ides an escape
(heal hy en i onmen )
• Impo an o educa ion
– 46 –
RÍOS Y CIUDADES EUROPEAS: ESPACIOS NATURALES, CULTURALES Y PRODUCTIVOS
D i e s o change
• Las 10 yea s+:-
– Land use planning
– Legal consen s and licences
– The Wa e F amewo k Di ec i e
– The Habi a s Di ec i e
– Miscellaneous policies
–
A ailable unding
Figu e 1. London Plan 2004: Blue Ribbon Ne wo k
– 47 –
RIVERS AS GREEN SPACES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
• Unique policy
– Resis de elopmen i loss o biodi e si y
– Design new wa e side de elopmen s o inc ease habi a s
– Take oppo uni ies o open cul e s and na u alise i e channels
3. CONTINUUM: EXAMPLE 1
•
Ri e Quaggy (sou h London);
Ea ly 1990s
– Enhancemen oppo uni ies
– Op ions e alua ion
– Public in ol emen
– De ailed app aisal issues
eg
g oundwa e
– O he examples: 1950ʼs oo ball
pi ches in pa ks
4. CONTINUUM: EXAMPLE 2
•
Ri e Blackwa e , Su ey and Hampshi e;
Ea ly 1990ʼs
– De elope s mee cos
– Oppo uni y o e-na u alisa ion
– Two s age channel
– Wildli e co ido s (in channel and on
adjacen fl oodplains)
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RÍOS Y CIUDADES EUROPEAS: ESPACIOS NATURALES, CULTURALES Y PRODUCTIVOS
5. CONTINUUM: EXAMPLE 3
•
Ri e C ane, Twickenham, London;
Ea ly 1990ʼs
– Flood con ol d i en
– Cons ained i e co ido
– In ol emen o ipa ian owne s in
bankside ea men
– Unique ʻ
in channelʼ
co ido
– No ion o
C ea ion
6. CONTINUUM: EXAMPLE 4
•
Ai po ; Buil 2003/04
– Pu pose o ʻTwin Ri e sʼ
– £40 million om de elope
– Al e na i e op ions
– Issues wi h chosen op ion
–
Sus ainable de elopmen ?
•
Whe e a e he bounda ies?
– Decul e ing/ a ifi cial wa e cou ses;
poo wa e quali y
7. SOME CONSTRAINTS
• Lack o space leading o ʻha de solu ionsʼ
• ʻ
C ea ion
ʼ a he han e-na u alisa ion
(eg low-fl ow wid h; subs a e)
• Wa e quali y emains poo ; eed bed
ea men
• Vandalism/ a son o ʻso e ʼ solu ions causes
p oblems
• Need o adap i e managemen
– 49 –
RIVERS AS GREEN SPACES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
8. THE OPPORTUNITIES
•
Coldha bou Fa m – a new de elopmen ; La e 1980ʼs
– Majo e-design o 7
kilome es o wa e cou se
– Enhanced house p ices
•
Tilmo e B ook, Hampshi e;
Buil 2003
– Highly alued by he public
– New issues – acous ics and
c ayfi sh
9. OVERALL CONCLUSIONS
• Aes he ics and o he social issues as well as ecological c i e ia
• A ʻ
Ho se o a cou seʼ –
he e is a con inuum o app oaches
• P ocesses
– Sus ainable de elopmen in ol es nego ia ion
– Consul a ion
ie
in ol e local people
– Adap i e Managemen is needed o deal wi h unce ain ies