Hall of shame - waterfronts of the world

Porto Alegre, a lot of waterfront opportunities

This article states that many of the great cities of the world boast exciting waterfront settings, yet have missed the opportunity to create lively public destinations where people will naturally want to gather.

“The familiar postcard image of a dramatic skyline rising from a blue expanse often obscures the lackluster quality of public space at the water's edge.”  

This reminds me of Porto Alegre, which could be on the Hall of Shame too. But don’t worry Porto Alegre is in good company, the other cities at the top of the list of Worst Waterfront Cities are:

New York,

Copenhagen,

Hong Kong,

Boston,

Tokyo,

Seatle,

Paris, (yes even Paris, yes even New York and Copenhagen)

Porto Alegre sits on the confluence of 5 rivers, situated on the world's largest lagoon, with undulating hills, sinuous coastline, sandy beaches, calm water and tropical rainforested hills.  Sounds like a heavenly place to enjoy the waterfront. Even though it is sadly so heavily polluted it is impossible to bathe in the waters, the waterfront could be presented in a far more flattering light.

Porto Alegre has a designated area to enjoy the magnificent waterfront.  Hundreds and thousands of citizens congregate at the historic Gasômetro.

Sundays are a special day of the week, when the authorities close a 1 km stretch of the waterside highway. This becomes a hugely popular playground for joggers, skaters, bicycles, kids, dogs. It’s so popular you can’t actually rollerblade\job\ride a bike because of the crowds, quite claustrophobic.  If you are not a child or a beginner cyclist then you probably would want to go further than the 1km area that just on Sundays is car free. This short strip is starting to suffer from it's own popularity and should be extended to include more of the waterfront. If you stray further than the traffic free area, the quality of the cycle path soon deteriorates or if you try to cycle north it is impossible. There is a beautiful and long stretch of an old cobbled street wharf buildings on one side and the water on the other. (See image below) Redeveloped and opened to the public this could be the pride of any city. It is prohibited to walk or cycle.  Plans are being mooted to redevelop, so lets hope it’ll happen soon.

When it isn’t Sundays it’s still a popular hang out, although the pedestrian access is either torturous or very dangerous to get to the waterfront, people still jog and rollerblade alongside the busy road breathing traffic fumes.

The following images highlight problems with the urban space at the waters edge. From the sattelite images you can see a vast expanse of mud and thin grass with a track running through it. The track is not a hard surface and as the area is used by motor vehicles, the track is full of deep ridges and puddles most of the time. There are absolutely no public benches to sit and watch the spectacular sunset. This is particularly unfortunate in Brazil because the grass is really itchy, even after just a few seconds in contact with skin.  

On the plus side there are dozens of snack stalls, sports pitches, an amphitheatre stage, sculptures and some excercise equipment.

So, it is meeting some of the needs of a great waterfront destination. But, to visit it looks like a sorry affair for the people not doing sports with very few benches to sit and the waterside litter strewn, scruffy and the water filthy.  It has the sad look of a place neglected, down at heel and therefore dangerous too.  The fact that the kids can’t play in the polluted water is a further blow.  In spite of all of this it is an overwhelmingly popular destination.

From my experience I can say that considering what a famously beautiful sunset (especially for Brazil with most of the coastline facing east) that Porto Alegre boasts, it is surprisingly hard to actually find a tranquil way to enjoy the waterfront.  Not only that, but the authorities could give the local economy a massive boost if businesses were encouraged to trade along the waterfront. People would travel a long way and pay a lot of money to have dinner on a terrace overlooking the sunset over the river. I imagine it could be a thriving, bustling focus of economic and leisure activity, day and night.  

I think the attitude to waterfronts is an historical one and the idea of the people enjoying leisure time in the city is perhaps quite a modern concept.  In the past the waterfront included the docks, a point of embark and disembark, full of noisy activity, undesirables and danger. The upper classes – the ones with leisure time would escape to parklands and the countryside.  But now with the shipping industry closed people are drawn to the tranquillity of waterfronts, of any type: canals, rivers, lakes, oceans and even small ponds and streams and artificial fountains – and now it is generally acknowledged that waterfronts are good for psychological well being. It is an added bonus if children can play in the water in the summer months and if there’s somewhere to sit down and\or get an icecream.

Cycling is prohibited on this stretch, which is a shame to put it mildly. It is by far the best place in the city to cycle.

Project for Public Spaces also published 10 things that a great waterfront needs:

1.   Surrounding Buildings Enhance Public Space

2.   Limits are Placed on Residential Development

3.   Activities go on Round-the-Clock and Throughout the Year
4.   Flexible Design Fosters Adaptability

5.   Creative Amenities Boost Everyone’s Enjoyment

6.   Access Made Easy by Boat, Bike and Foot

7.   Local Identity is Showcased

8.   The Water Itself Draws Attention
9.   Iconic Buildings Serve a Variety of Functions

10.   Good Management Maintains Community Vision

see website for further explanation


Waterfronts of the world with better facilities