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

case study #21990’s River WalkIn the early 1990s, San Antonio began looking to extend its attractingurban riverfront to the local community. “With an emphasis onrestoration and community interaction, landscape architects plan toextend the success of the San Antonio river walk” (Hammatt, 2002, p.73). Lead by the SWA Group of Houston, a 13 mile extension northand south of the existing river is planned to create new connections andcommunity interaction with the river. According to Heather Hammat(2002) of the Landscape Architecture Journal, the proposal won theASLA Honor Award for Analysis and Planning in 2001. The new planfocuses on nature, people, and hydrology with an overall goal to improvethe health of surrounding environments and to provide access to the riverusing the riverfront as a community amenity.Figure 36. San Antonio River Walk. North Reach Perspective. The new design willrestore a more natural habitat into this narrow urban corridor.Community leaders wanted to extend the River Walk beyond tourism andthe inner city to focusing on the community as a whole and revitalizationof potential vulnerable areas. It sought to create habitats and places forpeople to use and enjoy while enhancing the quality of life. Each area offocus, the North and the South Reach, have different characteristics andproblems associated with them (Hammatt, 2002).49