At the Water’s Edge: Reconnecting Cities to their Waterfronts with Dr. Ken Yocom

Dr. Ken Yocom, department chair and associate professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington’s College of Built Environments and author of NOW Urbanism: The Future City is Here, will give national and international examples of urban waterfront revitalization to offer insights and opportunities for understanding some of the successful strategies for enhancing waterfront conditions while prioritizing public access.

Urban waterfronts are complex. They represent areas of transition ecologically and economically with impacts that reach far beyond the water’s edge. Historically these locations have served as a core reason for the siting and subsequent development of urban areas supporting regional economies as points of intersection between the flow of money, production, and transformation. As these locations developed, the waterfront ecology was commonly degraded, and the lands and water were privatized. However, in recent decades, cities worldwide have begun to reevaluate their priorities with their waterfronts. They have sought ways to revitalize their conditions ecologically and economically and, in doing so, have forefronted equitable public access as a primary indicator of success.

This program is the third and final of the Communities by Design series in partnership with the Kent District Library.