Rivers Run Through It: Restoring the Beauty and Functionality of Urban Waterways

Rivers Run Through It RESTORING THE BEAUTY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF URBAN WATERWAYS

BY JEFFREY K. SMITH, AIA, NCARB Imagine strolling along a creek in the country on a summer day surrounded by a canopy of trees as the clear cool water ripples gently over a sandy bottom.

The air is pleasantly cool, and the songs of birds fill the air, while fish glide through the pools, and frogs leap into the water, adding to the pleasure of nature’s delights. Who would not enjoy this picturesque stroll along a countryside waterway?

This idyllic image takes a tragic turn when this lovely stream enters an urban or suburban development.

Here lies the dichotomy of our waterways’ existence.

Once the natural flow of this drainage system meets dense human habitation, it transforms from a captivating natural feature into an engineering conundrum. How does this random natural drainage system shaped by a millennium of topographic evolution get straightened to accommodate an orthographic property and infrastructure grid?

This dichotomy presents not only an aesthetic concern but also functional challenges. Nature has established organized floodways over centuries, following the contours of the land. Yet, our engineering hubris has attempted to subdue nature by straightening and deepening these once lovely waterways into canals. In doing so, we failed to account for future development, resulting in increased runoff and accelerated flood rates. We disregarded

the lessons nature taught us and sacrificed the beauty and control of our waterways in the process.

It is not just the major rivers that suffer from misguided flood logic, but also the smaller waterways that weave through our communities. As our population grows and we construct more densely populated areas, we claim to become more civilized.

While we are now beginning to address the flooding issue with net zero runoff requirements, it is akin to closing the barn doors after the horse has escaped.

These new requirements, such as retention ponds, often prioritize functionality over aesthetics and are, unfortunately, usually neglected. Bioswales are alternative options, but they too lack the element of beauty and are often poorly maintained.

So, is there still hope? I firmly believe so. So, let’s explore how we can rectify the tragic oversight of our once functional and beautiful small waterways.

Around the world, there are inspiring examples of reintroducing both beauty and functionality to these waterways as they encounter the realms of urbanization. These initiatives primarily emerge in high-density cities that have suffered years of neglect and now require bold rescuers to undo the damage, requiring of course, human and financial investment.

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WALLER CREEK, AUSTIN, TX Waller Creek in Austin, TX is an example that has recently been going through a very difficult revitalization. A philanthropist has championed this effort with new developments all along the creek’s original path incorporating the creek into the design as an amenity. Waller Creek flows through the University of Texas and downtown Austin on its way to the Colorado River.

SAN ANTONIO RIVER SAN ANTONIO, TX The San Antonio River has become a famous tourist attraction in San Antonio, TX with clever flood corridor measures and tree-lined banks as it courses through the city’s tourist district.

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TURTLE CREEK, DALLAS, TX Turtle Creek in Dallas is also an example of forward-thinking community leaders and planners. The creek’s beauty was protected early on as Dallas expanded and its course and floodway were preserved with thoughtful development occurring along its path. Now, very high-valued property occurs along its edge.

These 3 examples show us how to incorporate small waterways into development before and after. The costliest efforts occur, of course, after the damage is done.

Now, let’s explore how the logic of these examples can be implemented closer to home in Tangipahoa Parish, particularly, Hammond, Louisiana. There are 3 significant waterways flowing north to south through Hammond: Yellow Water River, Ponchatoula Creek, and Selsers Creek. If you travel north along their courses, you will find the beauty described earlier, only to see the unfortunate effect of unplanned development. If we adhere to the floodway regulations and not build or alter the floodway, we could utilize their courses as linear parks and pedestrian circulation paths for bikes, joggers, strollers, etc.

The most significant opportunity is an unnamed

Ponchatoula Creek tributary which appears to begin just northwest of Green Lawn Cemetery and flows south meandering through the city, then under I-12 and ties into Ponchatoula Creek just southwest at North Oaks Medical Center.

This potential amenity would connect Southeastern Louisiana University and North Oaks Medical Center, allowing bike and pedestrian access from single and multi-family housing, and shopping districts all along the course. A beautiful landscaped linear park increases land values and helps Hammond realize its master plan goals of a “smart growth” walkable community. Nay sayers, yes, the waterways will flood during heavy rains, so this is why we would engineer the drainage system to accommodate both the functionality and aesthetics of this endeavor.

I propose this effort be led by landscape architects teamed with civil engineers.

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This is just one example of how important the aesthetic component is to our infrastructure designs. Our quality of life is more than how we decorate our homes and yards. It extends into streets, highways, sidewalks, and utility systems for

H/S EXPERIENCE As human beings, we spend our personal and professional time within the built environment. As Architects, we are privileged to create spaces where people can gather, live, learn, work, eat, sleep, and worship.

Therefore, it is incumbent that we design spaces that enhance the quality of life and nurture a greater passion for living. Our design approach is influenced by the environment, culture, and community in which architecture exists. To take it further... We Design for Life.

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all citizens. Incorporating thoughtful design into our infrastructure only requires using designers teamed with civil engineers to add aesthetic quality to the solutions. Adding beauty to our drainage needs will increase the quality of life for all of us. ■

Jeffrey Smith is the Design Principal at Holly & Smith Architects.

Jeffrey has passionately balanced the dichotomy between the natural and built environment. Professionally, his design direction has focused on sustainability through rigorous evaluations of the natural environment of each building site. He has led this effort as a past president of the American Institute of Architects Louisiana and New Orleans chapters and through the community as a past member of the Hammond Historic District Commission, Hammond Downtown Development District, and Hammond Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as Chairman to several planning committees. His dream is that we build our structures to fit seamlessly into the environment and produce rather than consume energy.

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