Beyond the view waterfront cities in the 21st century

Beyond the view: waterfront cities in the 21st centuryRevitalising the world’s waterfront cities will do more than create vibrant places for people, says AECOM’s Asia Pacific president Sean Chiao. Our waterways are a source of economic opportunity.Our urban waterfronts are the places where commerce and public life intersect – where the vertical city meets the horizontal blue expanse.Early humans gathered by water, whether a river, lake or ocean, and “commerce started as humans used water as the medium of travel”. But as the Industrial Revolution gathered steam, our rivers became polluted and cities turned their backs on the water. “Water is an important asset for the character and growth of our cities. And when we are dealing with urban growth, we need to leverage our waterfronts to make our cities more sustainable and economically viable,” Chiao says.Over the course of the year, AECOM and the Asia Society are hosting conversations in five of the world’s great cities – Manila, Sydney, Los Angeles, New York and Hong Kong – to explore the evolving role of the urban waterfront.”Fifty years ago, waterfront was designated for industrial use because the land was cheap. Now people realise that it is the most important asset – one that gives a city character. But it’s not just about creating public spaces. How do we create economic value by better connecting the city?”Chiao says the idea is to undertake a wide-ranging examination of how these cities’ diverse approaches to the waterfront have shaped the quality of life for citizens in radically different ways.”These are some of the most diverse and vibrant cities on our planet but they share common stresses caused by development, urbanisation and densification which are only going to intensify with the predicted level of population growth,” Chiao says.As a long-term resident of Hong Kong, an architect and master planner, Chiao says each city can draw lessons from international counterparts.Chiao points to Boston as a city which was reimagined by “putting the freeway underground” and elevating the importance of its harbour. In San Francisco, after the Embarcadero Freeway was torn down by a major earthquake in 1989, its removal reconnected the Bay to the CBD, creating “one of the most desirable public places” in town.Revitalising waterfront is not just about providing more people with million dollar views, but about bringing cultural and public facilities that promote active living and encourage community-building.AECOM is working with the Singapore Government on the Great Southern Waterfront project – where the relocation of industrial facilities will release more than 1,000 hectares of land – to create a new waterfront city that is seamlessly integrated with its downtown.And in Kuala Lumpur, where rapid development has polluted the Klang River, the AUD$1.75 billion River of Life project is transforming 781 hectares of high economic land into a vibrant waterfront.In Manila, the grand plan laid out 100 years ago by American architect Daniel Burnham is yet to be realised, but Chiao says “people are passionate about how to reconnect their city to the waterfront” and that simple interventions, such as bike lanes, could be enough to draw people back to the water.As for Sydney, which is expected to accommodate 9.9 million people by 2036, the tension between tourism and trade must be carefully managed, and the balance between a working harbour and the value of the waterfront in creating a competitive and attractive city.”And as Sydney’s growth stretches West, we will need to think about how to connect more people with the water while protecting the waterfront for future generations,” Chiao says.Imagine Sydney will be held on 22 June.