Ecological Riverfront Design: Restoring Rivers, Connecting Communities Betsy Otto, Kathleen McCormick, and Michael Leccese American Planning Association Planning Advisory Service Report Number 518-519 Betsy Otto is Senior Director of the Watersheds Program for American Rivers, where she works on federal water policy issues and helps local communities integrate ecological principles into river-edge developments. She has developed several resource guides for river restoration funding and coauthored such re- ports as Paving Our Way to Water Shortages. Prior to joining American Rivers, Betsy directed the Midwest office of The Conservation Fund, and developed an award-winning regional greenways plan with Openlands Project for the Chi- cago metropolitan area in conjunction with the regional planning agency. Kathleen McCormick and Michael Leccese are writers and editors based in Boulder, Colorado. Kathleen McCormick is a former editor for Preservation and Garden Design, and Michael Leccese is a former editor of Landscape Archi- tecture and Historic Preservation News. They have written articles for numer- ous planning and environmental publications as well as books, master plans, and reports. They are coeditors of Charter of the New Urbanism (McGraw-Hill, 2000) and coauthors of Strategies for Successful Infill Development (Northeast- Midwest Institute and Congress for the New Urbanism, 2001). Leccese is also coauthor of design guidelines for the U.S. Forest Service. Cover design by Lisa Barton; this report is printed on recyclable paper. Cover photo: The Willamette River has alternately been a source of pride, shame, uncertainty, and hope for Portland, Oregon. See Chapter 6 for a detailed case study. Photo courtesy of Bureau of Planning, Portland, Oregon. The Planning Advisory Service is a subscription service offered by the Research Department of the American Planning Association. Eight reports are produced each year. Subscribers also receive the PAS Memo each month and have use of the Inquiry Answering Service. W. Paul Farmer, Executive Director; Sylvia Lewis, Publications Director; William Klein, Director of Research. Planning Advisory Service Reports are produced in the Research Department of APA. James Hecimovich, Editor; Lisa Barton, Design Associate; J.E. Luebering, Editorial Assistant; Toby Zallman, Design Assistant. © March 2004 by the American Planning Association. APA’s publications office is at 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60603. E-mail: [email protected] APA headquarters office is at 1776 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20036. Nonpoint Source Pollution PAS 476. Sanjay Jeer, Megan Lewis, Stuart Meck, Jon Witten, of Michelle Zimet. 1997. 126 pp. Nonpoint source pollution is a primary source of contamination for surface water and groundwater. It originates from rain water or snow melt washing past and picking up exposed pollutants. It can have a major impact on public health by contaminating drinking water special supplies. This report will help planners understand the existence and potential danger of nonpoint source pollution in their communities and develop strategies to prevent or limit its effects. Contains two model ordinances, numerous appendices and references, and an interest extensive bibliography. Parks, Recreation, and Open Space PAS 497/498. Alexander Garvin. 2001. 80 pp. Drawing on case studies of successful new and restored open space projects, Garvin offers detailed recommendations for acquiring, financing, developing, and maintaining land for parks and open space. Beautifully illustrated with the author’s own photographs, this report will help anyone determined to restore green and public places to the forefront of city planning. Parks and Economic Development PAS 502. John L. Crompton. 2002. 74 pp. Crompton explains how to measure and report the positive economic impact of parks and open space on the financial health of local businesses and government. Impact studies, graphs, charts, and other aids included in the report show how these contributions more than compensate for local tax dollars spent on acquiring, upgrading, and maintaining parks and other outdoor recreational areas. Old Cities/Green Cities PAS 506/507. J. Blane Bonham, Jr., Gerri Spilka, and Darl Rastorfer. 2002. 123 pp. Old Cities/Green Cities highlights innovative ways of managing vacant urban land, including large-scale greening systems and promoting reuse. Case studies focus on the Green City Strategy in Philadelphia. Stunning color photographs enhance this useful work. An appendix provides a list of contacts to many community development corporations active in the area of urban greening. American Planning Association Making Great Communities Happen Ecological Riverfront Design American Planning Association PAS Report Number 518-519 Preface v PREFACE A New Vision for Urban Riverfronts ities are rediscovering their rivers. For at least the past 30 years, cities and towns have been turning back to their rivers, transforming industrial and derelict land into new parks, Cresidences, and commercial space. The trend appears to be con- tinuing and perhaps even accelerating, with major planning and construction efforts underway in cities around the country. After abusing urban rivers through years of hard use and neglect, we have come to realize they are valuable economic and commu- nity assets. v vi Ecological Riverfront Design While this renaissance movement has been overwhelmingly positive, the prevailing view of the urban riverfront is of a blank canvas for “aes- thetic enhancements” and economic development initiatives. Too often, the river itself is not considered, an oversight that ignores the possibilities for enhancing the ecological value of the river. Ultimately, these missed possi- bilities are detrimental to the city and the public, not just the environment. As cities reclaim their rivers, a rare opportunity is offered to repair past damage, to prevent new injury, and to create more sustainable communi- ties. In virtually every case, these cities have a tremendous opportunity to direct riverfront revitalization efforts that will help to bring rivers and the communities that depend on them back to health. To take advantage of this opportunity, we need to effectively integrate ecological considerations with economic and social goals along the nation’s urban rivers. This Planning Advisory Service Report promotes the view that we can achieve much greater environmental as well as social and eco- This Planning Advisory Service nomic success if urban riverfronts are designed with ecological principles Report promotes the view that in mind. While we have some mechanisms for protecting our environment, such as water-quality regulations, environmental considerations are often we can achieve much greater an afterthought in urban riverfront planning. Yet the manner in which these environmental as well as social riverfronts are developed can have a tremendous impact on water quality and economic success if urban and other environmental concerns. riverfronts are designed with We firmly believe that communities will find better, more appealing, and more sustainable solutions by integrating ecological considerations upfront ecological principles in mind. in riverfront redevelopment efforts. Indeed, the experience of many com- munities suggests that treating the river as an equal partner improves envi- ronmental quality and quality of life—both of which have significant economic impacts for cities. This PAS Report aims to put forth a new vision for the nation’s urban riverfronts. It provides a set of planning and design principles that can be employed to ensure that, as we reclaim our urban river edges, we do so in the most ecologically sound and economically viable manner possible. The material in this report is intended to help planners, mayors, public works and environmental officials, river advocates, and the general public in their research about effective, ecological riverfront design. The report is struc- tured to provide general information on a number of key topics related to ecological health and human interaction with rivers. It is not intended as a comprehensive list of all issues of concern on riverfronts, but rather as a set of essential ideas that can help communities to achieve more with their riverfront revitalization efforts. This PAS Report does not address in detail the economic development issues that must also be considered for community riverfronts to be vital and successful. Cities that may want to use the principles described here are likely to be heavily engaged already in economic development activi- ties. Nor does this report address the classic aspects of planning, architec- tural, and landscape design requirements for successful public spaces (e.g., how to improve the image of a derelict or abandoned urban riverfront area, or how to organize pedestrian pathways to build a sense of liveliness and interest in a place). The reality in many cities is that significant riverfront development has already happened, and that redevelopment of some kind is now planned or underway. Our report begins from this premise. Further, we assume bringing people to the river often involves providing facilities and services that require buildings and other structures. This PAS Report, therefore, does not call for removing all buildings or preventing any new structures, but it does espouse a strong view that mini- mizing impacts and keeping urban riverfronts as natural as possible (i.e., Preface vii not overburdened