ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the recent European history and experience regarding river conservation and restoration with specific reference to urbanized waterways. Basic threats to river corridors will be reviewed as well as European regulations/guidance, the development of the science, the role of environmental NGOs plus the River Skerne and Tame case studies as examples of urbanized water body rehabilitation projects. There is a need to incorporate social and ecological service functions with urban waterway restoration projects as well as balance such functions as part of the rehabilitation process. There is also the need to involve stakeholders in fact finding and design aspects of such a process (Moran et al.; Petts), thereby, creating ownership and investment for the stakeholders. In 1990, at the time of the York Conference, there was not much experience with such a multiple-stakeholder process. There are opportunities to involve stakeholders who traditionally have not been part of such processes; this could be considered a procedural environmental justice issue.
