Spatial Equity in River Access. Measuring the Public Space Potential of Urban Riverbanks in Valdivia, Chile

Abstract

This paper seeks to evaluate the public space potential of riverbanks in the case of the city of Valdivia. The main goal of this research is to understand the relationships that promote or hinder the equitable enjoyment of watercourses and riverbanks. In the case of river access, spatial equity will be considered as the possibility for all inhabitants to access the benefits and resources of the river in their daily lives. Different analytical techniques and quantitative data were used to explore the relationships between socioeconomic characteristics, like socioeconomic groups and land value in the riverbank urban area. This evaluation will be applied by river edge transects. This article is a contribution to the theoretical discussion of social equity in urban riverfronts as an application in the case study since there are few studies on river banks from this perspective. Lack of a comprehensive shore planning in waterfront neighborhoods and of diverse public spaces impedes due public riverside and water use, as well as neglects ecological deterioration processes and social vulnerability.

Assessment of the Connectivity and Comfort of Urban Rivers, a Case Study of the Czech Republic

“…Additionally, on the contrary, lower values of indicator 7 surface with a shadow in the central areas of cities. These factual data refer to the importance of supporting the ecosystem functions of waterfronts in their planning [79].…”

Transformación del espacio fluvial urbano y sus efectos sobre la conectividad social, el caso de Valdivia (1909-2020)

“…Esta ausencia de contacto con el río puede repercutir en la degradación y desvalorización social de la ribera (Andersen et al, 2019;. Además, la pérdida de conectividad está relacionada con una planificación deficiente que no reconoce la complejidad y dinámicas de los espacios fluviales, lo que impide la mantención o mejora de sus características paisajísticas y ecológicas (Andersen, 2022). Actualmente existe un riesgo de que estos espacios sean alterados por nuevos conjuntos residenciales u otras edificaciones, o por su ocupación por tomas y autoconstrucción de viviendas, lo que se observa de manera aislada en algunos puntos de la ribera.…”

Thermal Equilibrium Analysis of Small-to-Medium River Ecosystems in Northern China under Multi-Factor Coupling and Decision-Making for Ecological Restoration

“…Owing to the influences of global climate change and human activities, small-to-medium river ecosystems in northern China (hereinafter referred to as the target river systems) have been confronted with escalating thermal stress challenges [1,2]. These rivers, besides playing critical roles in water resource provision, biodiversity, and local communities, hold pivotal significance in maintaining regional ecological balance [3][4][5]. However, challenges to their thermal equilibrium have arisen under the combined influences of various environmental and socio-economic factors, making effective ecological restoration particularly urgent.…”

“…Despite abundant research on river ecological restoration, most methods have predominantly focused on ecological response analyses under single-factor influences, overlooking the intricate coupling of multiple factors [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Furthermore, traditional methodologies have often lacked in-depth exploration of microbial activity and bio-regulation, both of which play central roles in ecosystem thermal equilibrium status [20][21][22][23].…”