Rivers as green spaces in urban environments

– 45 – RIVERS AS GREEN SPACES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS Dr Andrew Brookes United Kingdom 1. “LOST RIVERS OF LONDON” • Rivers culverted, lined or enlarged • Fauna and fl ora affected by poor water quality • Loss of riparian vegetation • Erosion of banks, leading to bank protection • Negative views of watercourses 2. IMPORTANCE OF RIVER CORRIDORS • Provide natural refuges and corridors for wildlife • Improve fl ood storage capacity • Connect communities • Pubic open space provides an escape (healthy environment) • Important for education – 46 – RÍOS Y CIUDADES EUROPEAS: ESPACIOS NATURALES, CULTURALES Y PRODUCTIVOS Drivers for change • Last 10 years+:- – Land use planning – Legal consents and licences – The Water Framework Directive – The Habitats Directive – Miscellaneous policies – Available funding Figure 1. London Plan 2004: Blue Ribbon Network – 47 – RIVERS AS GREEN SPACES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS • Unique policy – Resist development if loss of biodiversity – Design new waterside developments to increase habitats – Take opportunities to open culverts and naturalise river channels 3. CONTINUUM: EXAMPLE 1 • River Quaggy (south London); Early 1990s – Enhancement opportunities – Options evaluation – Public involvement – Detailed appraisal issues eg groundwater – Other examples: 1950ʼs football pitches in parks 4. CONTINUUM: EXAMPLE 2 • River Blackwater, Surrey and Hampshire; Early 1990ʼs – Developers meet cost – Opportunity for re-naturalisation – Two stage channel – Wildlife corridors (in channel and on adjacent fl oodplains) – 48 – RÍOS Y CIUDADES EUROPEAS: ESPACIOS NATURALES, CULTURALES Y PRODUCTIVOS 5. CONTINUUM: EXAMPLE 3 • River Crane, Twickenham, London; Early 1990ʼs – Flood control driven – Constrained river corridor – Involvement of riparian owners in bankside treatment – Unique ʻ in channelʼ corridor – Notion of Creation 6. CONTINUUM: EXAMPLE 4 • Airport; Built 2003/04 – Purpose of ʻTwin Riversʼ – £40 million from developer – Alternative options – Issues with chosen option – Sustainable development? • Where are the boundaries? – Deculverting/ artifi cial watercourses; poor water quality 7. SOME CONSTRAINTS • Lack of space leading to ʻharder solutionsʼ • ʻ Creation ʼ rather than re-naturalisation (eg low-fl ow width; substrate) • Water quality remains poor; reed bed treatment • Vandalism/ arson of ʻsofterʼ solutions causes problems • Need for adaptive management – 49 – RIVERS AS GREEN SPACES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS 8. THE OPPORTUNITIES • Coldharbour Farm – a new development; Late 1980ʼs – Major re-design of 7 kilometres of watercourse – Enhanced house prices • Tilmore Brook, Hampshire; Built 2003 – Highly valued by the public – New issues – acoustics and crayfi sh 9. OVERALL CONCLUSIONS • Aesthetics and other social issues as well as ecological criteria • A ʻ Horse for a courseʼ – there is a continuum of approaches • Processes – Sustainable development involves negotiation – Consultation ie involve local people – Adaptive Management is needed to deal with uncertainties