An Urban River Ignored

"We have the green space at James River Park, a testament to the stewardship of its manager, Ralph White. But one of the most remarkable aspects about the riverfront is how little of it is accessible to the public.

You can't drive or walk its length on downtown's north bank without being warned off by the signs of corporate property owners. The Canal Walk is disjointed. The south bank and Mayo Island are uninviting. The entire picture lacks cohesion.

To contemplate riverfront access today is to lament a series of tragic urban-planning mistakes that walled off the riverfront from downtown."

River advocates in Richmond are trying to get the city's mayor to pay more attention to the river and encourage urban planning that takes advantage of the waterway.