Regeneration of watercourses within urban areas. Some considerations on relevance, strategies, and design tools

Abstract

Water plays a crucial role in landscape design, offering opportunities to shape significant spaces while also enhancing ecological conditions. Regenerating rivers and streams, in particular, has proven to be an effective strategy for environmental recovery at various scales. These waterways are complex ecosystems, highly anthropized over time and revitalizing them in urban and peri-urban areas can yield multiple benefits such as biodiversity conservation, flood protection, and the creation of public spaces. A landscape-based approach to river restoration encompasses not just design but also considers the potential processes it can trigger and comprehends the interconnections within the entire system. The different projects mentioned represent examples of techniques capable of combining usability and ecological improvement, enabling the enhancement of water accessibility and contributing to environmental well-being through the use of diverse design strategies and tools.