Aaron Hanson Thesis Book.pdf - NDSU - North Dakota State ...

theoretical premise researchA better solution is the San Antonio’s Paseo del Rio (Riverwalk),1941, which strategically transformed a flood hazard into a majortourist attraction (the second most visited area in Texas). It provides anaesthetically pleasing public park system that solves flooding problemswhile providing green relief. It is a model for adaptive re-use ofwaterfronts; its upfront cost may have been expensive but has paid off byraising the value of the city (Garvin, 2000).Another similar situation occurred with Boulder Creek, located in Colorado.In 1983, the city finally used Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and CharlesEliot’s earlier recommendations (Improvement of Boulder Colorado Plan)to create an area that controlled flood water while providing public parksystems for fishing, picnicking, and other recreational uses. Olmsted Jr. andBartholomew recommended a similar solution for the Los Angeles Riverin 1930, but instead, the city of L.A. used an effective but unsustainableengineering approach (Garvin, 2000).Figure 8. Boulder, Colorado, 2000. The Boulder Creek floodplain includes tree-linedpathways used for skating, jogging, and bicycle riding. Top right shows a local fishermanat his favorite fishing spot along Boulder Creek (Garvin, 2000, p. 56).ConclusionFortunately, recent years have lead to a wholistic view on rivers and watersystems where even an engineering approach of function over form ischanging to account for ecological benefits. Comparing the Los AngelesRiver and San Antonio River, where both had similar situations back in themid 1900s, it is interesting to see the outcome of the chosen strategies. SanAntonio’s river has been thriving through the years while the city of LosAngeles is realizing the opportunities their river can bring.18