A methodology to evaluate public use and the perception of riverbanks: Valdivia as a case study

Abstract

The intervention of river channels and river banks as a result of urban phenomena such as urban expansion or natural disasters, has resulted in the transformation of landscapes and changes in the occupation of these areas. Today it is necessary to study these areas, providing methodologies that delve into the significant, perceptual relations of the inhabitants with the river banks and its ecosystems as well as their use. The fluvial landscapes and the use of the river channels have marked the identity of the city of Valdivia, in the Region de los Ríos, Chile. This article discusses the progress of an investigation that seeks to characterize these river bank spaces that suffered an abandonment of their social and public uses. We select two landscapes as case studies: The southern waterfront of Isla Teja, and the southern waterfront of Las Animas, in the city of Valdivia, Chile. The methodology integrates an analysis of observation, interviews, a study of pedestrian accessibility, an analysis of the elements of the landscape and an analysis of the ecological value of fluvial ecosystems. Results show the problems and potentialities associated with the habitability of the two case studies. Finally, the article conclu des with reflections about the relevance of a multidimensional approach to address restructuring the design of fluvial public spaces.