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

case study #3Denver knows the importance of parks and the river corridor as bothrespites and connections (Chandler, 2002). The results of the downtownarea are impressive: “for residents, 80 plus acres of public parkland (outof a river chain of more than 100 acres), river access, and recreationfacilities; for developers, land for high-end housing, retail, and officespace lured by these new parks; for the city, new property tax revenueand removal of a big swath of blight; for wildlife, a cleaner river andshoreline” (Chandler, 2002, p. 88).Figure 47. South Platte Riverfront, Confluence Park. The park was the early impetus forthe city to turn to its river resources for recreation, respite, and protection of wildlife.ThoughtsOne element of my thesis is the notion of connection. This case studyexploits the different uses an urban waterfront can bring by connectingneighborhoods through a river. A river can often times be viewed as abarrier between one side of the river to the other, but the South Platte Riverworks with trail systems and greenways to unite each side. This allows forpedestrian trails being used to guide people through the urban setting with astrong connection to the downtown district.The Mississippi River in St. Cloud has a major disconnection betweeneach district, and it will be important going further in my research todevise a system of strategies that can create a unified connection betweencommunities by using the riverfront.56