Improving Visual Attractiveness to Enhance City–River Integration—A Methodological Approach for Ongoing Evaluation

Abstract

The relationship between rivers and cities has evolved from a natural coexistence and interdependence to a progressive relationship of segregation and disintegration. This article uses a planning experiment to explore and discuss some concerns about visual attractiveness of city–river landscapes in promoting spatial integration of cities and rivers. It presents a methodological approach integrating expert opinions and public perception questionnaires. This is a contribution to making operational an ongoing aesthetic assessment of different dimensions and viewpoints at the city scale. This approach is illustrated with a case-study in the Lisbon metropolitan area and its main assessment results are integrated in a city–river profile that can be useful in ongoing evaluation processes of river landscapes and urban planning practice.

Acknowledgements

We thank all those that have participated in the URBEM and RiProCity project teams and gave their valuable contributions to improve some of the research findings presented here. We would also like to thank the reviewers for their important comments and contributions.