River Walk Leans Away From Tourism in San Antonio

San Antonio's River Walk is getting a new stretch of revitalized riverfront, but it's neither the utilitarian drainage ditch of the past nor the heavily sculpted tourist attraction of recent years.

1 minute read

March 12, 2010, 11:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg


"[S]tarting with the opening this spring of Phase 1, there will be hike-and-bike paths and something called "mission portals" - an attempt to use architectural features, pathways and landscaping to reconnect the river to both the Spanish missions and the South Side neighborhoods that dot its banks.

It's a new, more natural concept for a city whose approach to the river long has been to either manicure it or use it as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers drainage ditch."

The new stretch will focus more on reconnecting riverfront neighborhoods to the river.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in San Antonio Express-News

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