Waterfront Redevelopment and Urbanization

This article discusses the impact of waterfront redevelopment and urbanization on ecology, environment, and society. It explores the challenges and benefits of these development programs and emphasizes the need for sustainable and balanced approaches.

Running head: WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT AND URBANIZATION
Waterfront Redevelopment and Urbanization
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Author Note

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WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT AND URBANIZATION
Places where land and water meet have always been the point of trade and commerce.
These locations were given newer meaning with the redevelopment programs as industrialization
and urbanization advanced. The industrial-era harbors and other fronts soon were being
transformed into places with urban growth initiatives which were water-oriented. Water front
redevelopment programs are well established phenomena which include, restructuring of existing
waterfronts into newer places. Some projects focus on tourism uses while others have industrial
purposes. The primary intention of developing a waterfront is to create scope for diverse uses
and interest as many people as possible. Urbanization and human actives have affected ecology
and environment. Measuring the impact of urban development is not always an easy task. These
programs which restructure the place where land and water meet, have contributed hugely to the
imbalance in ecology and grave effects on the environment. It has also brought major changes in
land policies, social and economic development.
The course of development had elements which were symbolic and were significant in
fueling the financial prospects. These edges where land and water joined became spots for
implementing experimental and innovative ideas which were greatly associated with the global,
technological advancements (Avni & Fischer, 2019). Ports and harbors which were abandoned
due to the changing needs of the society were replaced with residential places, offices,
recreational spots, shopping malls and other public-private partnership developments. In the late
20th century, many countries were reported to have expanded and transformed their waterfronts
for residential, regional, national and tourism purposes. These were recognized as under utilized
spaces with great prospects of development (Wiig, 2018). Therefore, governments and
establishments took the initiative of utilizing the resources which were available to channelize
the financial prospects which were associated with the water fronts. People started being

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interested in the residential projects which happened around these projects, leading to
gentrification and class stratification. However, waterfront regeneration programs completely
changed the land structure and impact the physical environment of the area around.
However, it is also necessary to distinguish between waterfronts as abstract spaces on one
hand and geographic territory on the other. Society rapidly undergoing the process of
urbanization and consequential changes. The dynamics of change were fettering the territorial
significances the recognition of the urbanized spaces and society stretches beyond the location
(Airas, Hall & Stern, 2015). It extends to the larger picture of global change which concerns the
world. It is therefore, very important to assess the changes in terms of consequential results with
respect to the social and natural approaches to Water Front Developments. People are always
benefitted with development programs and changes. There are myriad of reasons why
urbanization is important but it can only be considered as being correct and beneficial when it is
sustainable and ensured social, economic and environmental progress (McCarthy, 2016). The
policies which regulate planning and development programs state that, scaling benefit associated
with such programs can only be done in terms of how it affects the public and the ecology. The
idea of benefit is generalized and central to the local people and people associated integrally.
However, that should not be the case, as they are intrinsically related to a spectrum of other
outcomes and factors.
There are several implications which must be evaluated in order to understand the change
and effects which are associated with the change of the urban scenario and redevelopment
programs. We need to focus on influence of these actions and how it shapes the geographic
context of the location with the implementation of the intended plan (Leary & McCarthy, 2013).
Society and nature are interdependent and connected. The inseparable tie which the two share

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therefore creates a fluidity and strikes a balance between both. Nature is the prime component in
the economic and historic accounts of power relations and developments. During the period of
rapid industrialization, the need of developing ports, railway infrastructures arose in order to
make progress with transportation and convenience. However, as time passed, these places also
were abandoned due to the need of more advanced means of transportation. The deserted and
less utilized places became sights for innovation and experimentation to implement newer ideas
and usages (Bunce & Desfor, 2007). These developments have resulted in many problems and
adverse effects on the ecology and environment. Some are political and social while others are
deeply rooted in the changes associated with nature.
Urbanization and transformation of these places gave way to the highbrow culture near
and related to the Urban Water Front Redevelopment projects. These sights became places with
high land value. Therefore, privately owned housing became very expensive around these area.
The cost of living around these area increased with time. Expansion of residential areas in and
around these spots popularized and therefore financial considerations pertaining to the idea of
construction of new homes witnessed great change (Boland, Bronte & Muir, 2017). Ownership
of land became extremely complex and limited. Big projects shifted to areas near such waterfront
which affected the housing market. It did open newer opportunities in the housing sector,
whereas, the local people were troubled with the rapid change and its consequences. As a result,
these areas also witnessed population increase resulting in reduction of resources available (Kim,
2016). In order to accommodate and promote to such areas to people, more land were utilized for
converting the waterfronts into developed and advanced projects. This often led to the
exploitation of the ecological diversity of the land and resources. Water is an integral part of the
ecological sphere and it thus also underwent a misuse of the same for commercial purposes.

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WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT AND URBANIZATION
Affordable housing was very important in the post war and urban development context (Boland,
Bronte & Muir, 2017). This got replaced with high class, private and high culture housing.
Policy frames and levels in incomes also witnessed change because of the effects it had on the
real estate markets.
These lands were often isolated from the main city for which there had to be more
development programs which connectivity, convenience and transportation. Legal reformations
also provided ample opportunities for commercial development, which started with the
municipality’s push towards the growing market and demand in the shoreline (Xie & Gu, 2015).
Other commercial spots could have been built away from the main or central part of the cities.
This led to social inequalities among people. This scenario has also witnessed a great number of
gentrification, as a large number of middle class people moved to the luxurious residential
complexes built near the waterfronts (Davidson, 2013). This also functioned as drawback for the
urban waterfront transformation which created an economic stratification too. The depletion of
environment is also a growing concern of the age, as it transforms the natural space into
commercial ones.
Globalization, technological advancements have given way to these changes and
developments, which interest people in a greatly. Whereas, these are places which are
territorialized and capitalized too. For their physical and sensory qualities, these waterfronts
have more value than gardens and parks in a city (Coscia, Lazzari & Rubino, 2018). The socio-
cultural value of these places are linked their political and economic significance too. Many
debates which concern the development are assessed with respect to that of communal value of
the space as they have been utilized for consumption. The waterfront development programs
have been widely popularized and implemented in Australia, Malaysia, USA, Denmark and other

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parts of the world, where it has enhanced the cultural, economic and social prospects (Davidson,
2013).
It can be concluded that, there are many drawbacks and issues related to the waterfront
redevelopment programs which must be addressed and regulated in order to strike balance
between nature and society. The ecological balance will ensure sustainability and integration of
people and their values and culture. It is needless to say that Waterfront developments add value
to the land and society and enhance prospects of the area. Whereas, at the same time, the socio-
cultural values and political significances must be taken into account.

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References and Bibliography
Airas, A., Hall, P. V., & Stern, P. (2015). Asserting historical “distinctiveness” in industrial
waterfront transformation. Cities, 44, 86-93.
Avni, N., & Fischler, R. (2019). Social and Environmental Justice in Waterfront Redevelopment:
The Anacostia River, Washington
Boland, P., Bronte, J., & Muir, J. (2017). On the waterfront: Neoliberal urbanism and the politics
of public benefit. Cities, 61, 117-127.
Bunce, S., & Desfor, G. (2007). Introduction to “Political ecologies of urban waterfront
transformations”. Cities, 24(4), 251-258.
Coscia, C., Lazzari, G., & Rubino, I. (2018). Values, Memory, and the Role of Exploratory
Methods for Policy-Design Processes and the Sustainable Redevelopment of Waterfront
Contexts: The Case of Officine Piaggio (Italy). Sustainability, 10(9), 2989.
Davidson, M. (2013). Urban geography: Waterfront development. Sydney: University of
Western Sydney University of Western Sydney, Australia.
Kim, Y. (2016). The mood of waterfront space.
Leary, M. E., & McCarthy, J. (Eds.). (2013). The Routledge companion to urban regeneration.
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McCarthy, J. (2016). Partnership, collaborative planning and urban regeneration. Routledge.
Wiig, A. (2018). Secure the city, revitalize the zone: Smart urbanization in Camden, New Jersey.
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