Background
As the boundary between city and water, waterfront space is not only an ecological corridor, but also a carrier of vitality for public life. Waterfront space has multiple values of landscape aesthetics, ecological services and social activities by connecting water and land. In modern urban design, waterfront design needs to follow four principles: coordinated regional planning, ecological restoration, humanized experience and cultural heritage. In addition, as climate change intensifies, waterfront space also needs to have flood resilience, using technologies such as permeable paving and ecological revetment to enhance the ability to cope with extreme weather.
Case Study: From Porto to Vancouver
The Porto Waterfront Platform in Portugal uses low and simple horizontal buildings to change the original dense high-rise layout of the old city. By combining viewing trails, rest areas and performance venues, the Douro River has become lively again and has become a vibrant space for people to gather and participate in activities. The design team also retained historical dock elements, such as old cranes and stone embankments, so that modern functions and industrial heritage complement each other.
Figure 1：Porto Waterfront Terrace, Portugal
The Vancouver Seawall in Canada connects greenways, bicycle paths and docks with a 28-kilometer-long linear space, infiltrating marine elements into the daily life of the city. This multifunctional blue-green system not only meets the needs of leisure and fitness, but also becomes a benchmark for international waterfront space through the close interaction of “water-city-people”. It is worth mentioning that the local government has achieved a balance between economy and nature through a segmented design strategy, adding open-air cafes in commercial areas and restricting development in ecologically sensitive areas.
Figure 2：Vancouver Seawall, Canada
Inspiration and Prospect
To revitalize the waterfront, the key is to restore the natural environment, meet people’s needs for walking and gatherings, and highlight local cultural characteristics during design. For example, Porto uses simple design to tell the story of the river, and Vancouver turns the dock into a multifunctional living area. These successful cases prove that only by comprehensive consideration and thoughtful design can a pleasant waterfront be created. In the future, smart technologies such as dynamic lighting systems and water quality monitoring devices can be introduced to further enhance the sustainability and interactivity of waterfront space.
Reference
1.TANG, Y., LI, L., HAN, L. and XIE, S. (2022). A review of international research on the transformation and development of urban waterfront space. Progress in Geography, 41(6), pp.1123–1135. doi:https://doi.org/10.18306/dlkxjz.2022.06.014.(Accessed: 18 May 2025).
2.Sohu.com. (2021). [Selected Case] Waterfront Landscape Space – High-quality Urban Space Design_Erfurt. [online] Available at: https://m.sohu.com/a/443430939_100163902/?pvid=000115_3w_a&utm_source=chatgpt.com (Accessed 18 May 2025).
3.Szdesigncenter.com. (2020). Shenzhen Planning and Land Development Research Center (Shenzhen Urban Design Promotion Center) | Waterfront design, urban renewal, and new thinking on urban design in the post-epidemic period. [online] Available at: https://www.szdesigncenter.com/dSpNxCaZIGaw215yDH?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 18 May 2025].
