ABSTRACT
City rivers have been undergoing an urban renaissance as their industrial and transport functions decline and residential urbanisation exploits these waterfronts for their development opportunity and amenity value. London’s second river, the Lee, is an interesting case as it represents the legacy of the city’s industrial past, a long-standing interaction with diverse communities, and a vital resource as a water-source and riparian species habitat. Today this river valley is an expansive hydro-space where this legacy and everyday environment collides with new economic uses by residents and visitors. This chapter introduces the concept of hydrocitizenship to capture this hybridity – between nature (ecosystems) and human settlement (culture), between the historical river and its post-industrial rediscovery and between the processes of governance which determine our relationship with this hydro-resource. The chapter presents findings from primary research in and around the Lee Valley that investigated how the changing river environment is perceived and governed from the perspectives of residents, users and the stakeholders and stewards of this landscape.
Graeme Evans PhD is Professor of Urban Cultures & Design in the Faculty of Arts & Creative Industries at Middlesex University, London, UK.
