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Design Process

THUR-C07: Can We Restore "Real" Rivers in Cities?

Thursday, September 17, 2026
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM PT
1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW

Globally, urban rivers have been confined, buried, and rerouted, making reclamation seem impossible. Yet increased flooding, aging infrastructure, and the demand for "rewilding" urban spaces are fueling innovative solutions. This session highlights strategies from around the globe for bringing urban rivers back to life.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Describe what landscape processes make a river a "real" River.
  • Effectively engage geomorphologists and ecologists for more resilient river restoration projects, including what key questions to ask to set your project up for success.
  • Apply strategies for river restoration as a community catalyst across a wide range of landscape and community settings.
  • Demonstrate concrete examples of effective public engagement strategies that build stakeholder ownership of the process and product.