The new paradigm highlights a water-centric urban future by providing a comprehensive flexible water system to rejuvenate urban river floodplain hydro-social space and to drive urban development configuration. Rejuvenating urban river floodplain hydro-social space is one of the main goals of the new urban river paradigm. This hydro-social space reestablishes the natural connection between people and water by designing for hydrological changes, ecological habitat and new public spaces.
Water Centric Urban River Paradigm This is a human-natural holistic urban river paradigm. The value of water is highly and completely recognised . Ecological, economic, and socio-cultural values of the river are weighted and balanced as a co-product toward sustainable resilient urban development. Urban (green) infrastructure, resilient and functional landscape, and water resources combine to form to one comprehensive flexible water system. By restoring and developing a hydrologically and ecologically functioning water system and its related landscape, the Metro area will become resilient to flooding and provide a controlled floodable river edge. This floodable river edge becomes the center for public recreation and socialization which creates the hydro-social space. The hydro-social space also brings public attention to the water which drives subtle change in behavior and thinking. Comprehensive Flexible Water System This water system drives comprehensive water usage including groundwater, stormwater, and river channel water. It restores the water resource and water quality through ecolgocial processes. With controlled hydrological and ecological landscape infrastructures, flooding is considered a natural process for the river system rather than a risk to the city. The hydrology and flooding nature of the river are carefully integrated into the water system design to provide a water stratum for hydro-social space.
NEW URBAN RIVER PARADIGM
This Capstone project is meant to envision a new urban river paradigm through a research and analysis based site planning and design. The project summarizes the existing urban river pardigm and its issues on Westside St.Paul River Valley, and then proposes a new paradigm and its approach strategies through changing scale planning and design.
Urban river paradigm Urban River Paradigm is a typical pattern and model which drives the relationship between river management, urban development and public river connection in a certain time period. It is a product of interaction between urban development, public desires and natrual river environment. Urban River Paradigm is influenced by the urban development, but in turn has a great impact on urban land use and distribution, urban morphology and urban grid. Urban River Paradigm also includes the common concepts regarding the relationship between urban life and river among the public. It decides the relationship between the public and the river.
Rejuvenate Urban River Foodplain Hydro-Social Space
NEW URBAN RIVER PARADIGM
Rejuvenate Urban River Foodplain Hydro-Social Space
Concept Definition
Hydro-Social Connection This is the interaction between public social activities and water with hydrologcial changes through human-natural holistic urban river system. This interaction can not only reflect in physical formats such as public recreation activities and river accessibility, but also in mental formats through social culture and awareness. In this connection, the hydrological changes of the water body are highlighted and often lead to different public reactions. For example, the hydrological changes the of river may result in different recreation activities in and along the river, and an increased perception of value of that space by the public. Hydro-Social Space The space that supports hydro-social connection. It is accessed by the public and helps draw people's attention to the water. Urban Development Configuration It includes urban develop strategy and zoning function, urban land use and its distribution, urban morphology and urban grid. 1
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