Humans' love of water makes waterways a particularly attractive urban amenity. Why did so many American cities let theirs languish?

“People love water. And they love to be close to it,” writes Alan Ehrenhalt in Governing. “Fondness for water seems to be wired into the human brain, and urbanites feel it about as strongly as anyone else.” So why do so many American cities fail to activate their waterfronts? “For every city that has taken good care of its waterfront, as Chicago has, there are many that, over the 20th century, let the waterfront decline into a dingy commercial dumping ground that nobody would want to visit, even if they could find a way to get there.”
More recently, this is starting to change. Ehrenhalt traces the history of many U.S. waterfront towns, which naturally began as ports. “The next step was development as a manufacturing hub that took in maritime shipping and distributed its products to the city and the nearby hinterland. Then, in the mid-20th century, came waterfront decline and abandonment as trucking replaced water shipping as the primary economic engine.”
Now, cities are looking to their neglected waterfronts as potential engines of economic recovery and civic revitalization. Starting with San Antonio’s River Walk in the 1960s, cities around the country encouraged redevelopment along their waterways. “They can’t just be tourist gimmicks. They should incorporate the history of the neighborhood and the city. They need to make use of old buildings. And they need to make creative use of the water itself.”
For Ehrenhalt, unlike the thornier challenges of the housing crisis or inequality, revitalizing waterfronts is one of the easier urban challenges to solve. “[W]e can take the waterfronts that exist in nearly every big city and turn many of them into civic assets that bring people comfort and enjoyment.”
FULL STORY: Waterfronts Are Great for Cities — When They’re Done Right

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie