ABSTRACT
Aquatic habitats, and water resources in general, have attracted human settlements since the earliest times. This chapter presents selected case studies giving examples of modern planning experiences in eight cities of the world where the process of innovative planning has already started and is currently in various stages of advancement. The cities include Phoenix, US; Istanbul, Turkey; Vienna, Austria; Lyon, France; Adige region in Italy; Cape Town, South Africa; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; and Lodz, Poland. Regardless of the stage of advancement, all case studies break the continuous and alarming trend of unsustainable urbanization and show the importance and necessity of exploring various ways of more consciously considering aquatic habitats and harmonizing technological measures with ecosensitive approaches in integrated urban water management. These case studies address a wide range of climatic conditions, aquatic habitat types (e.g., large and small rivers, reservoirs and ponds, associated terrestrial ecosystems) and their roles for urban residents.
