study of front water development

---

A city’s face is frequently its shoreline. However, many urban waterfronts, from old mill towns to previous shipping ports, are no longer connected to the rest of the globe by their former transportation and economic activities. Cities are increasingly exposed without this bustle, forced to display their individuality and beliefs in these vacant spaces. Cities are increasingly being forced to stop their treadmill of economic activity, construction, and transportation infrastructure to figure out who they are at their waterfronts.

Many cities have struggled to find a unique character for their waterfronts. Indeed, it is here where the dispute over cities’ souls is likely most heightened. The hole left on many city waterfronts invites a wide range of assertions about what a city is about and what it most desperately needs. Some waterfronts are being developed for one-dimensional commercial activity, while others are being developed for residences. Some have been designated for passive use or structured recreation, while others have been set aside for autos.  Each of these forces is contending for control of these underutilised sites, and allowing one use to dominate undermines a waterfront’s long-term potential. To prosper, waterfronts must not only rely on a diverse range of activities, but they must also become more than the sum of their parts.