Development of Waterfronts in Small and Medium-Sized Cities in the View of the Idea of Sustainable Development: Selected Examples

Abstract

The development of waterways is one of the key factors influencing the perception of the city by its residents and people visiting them. The unique value of these areas in the urban structure often results due to the short distance from the historic city center. An important factor is the layer of cultural values. For the sake of the rich traditions of many urban centers, it seems necessary to draw attention precisely on the aspects related to the connection of the waterfronts areas with historical tissue of the city. However, due to the continuous development of the cities, we have to deal also with the areas that have been invested today-often in recent years, and this process is still continuing. Often we faced with problems That have been created in recent years as a side effect incompetently policy planning. Legal documents such as the Water Law Act stipulate that "When designing, making and maintaining water facilities, the principle of sustainable development should be followed, in particular maintaining good water status and characteristic biocenoses, the need to preserve the existing relief and biological relations in the water environment and in wetlands". Unfortunately, these records are often not taken into account during the transformation of watercourse channels-especially in urbanized areas. In fact, the priority is to get the maximum protection against flooding and to bear the lowest possible economic costs. So we can assume that the appearance and spatial order in the areas of waterfronts are primarily connected with the consistently implemented measures in line with the ideas of sustainable development, as well as thought-spatial policy pursued by the city authorities.