Historical background

• Almost every major city developed beside a river.

• City residents originally used rivers for travel, catching fish and leisure.

• Later industrial expansion and population growth resulted in: - a greater volume of household sewage entering the water - contamination from  located along the riverbank.
• In 1957, the River Thames in London was described as biologically .

Recent improvements

• Seals and even a  have been spotted in the River Thames.
• Former riverside warehouses are turned into restaurants and .
• In Los Angeles, proposals include creating a riverside  and exhibiting  projects.
• In Paris, temporary  are established beside the river each summer.

Transport possibilities

• More than two billion city passengers already travel by  worldwide.
• Rather than using roads, goods could arrive on large freight barges and continue by electric  or, in the future, by .