River-Lab

The current interest in "multibenefit projects" that balance ecology, flood control, and social use in urban rivers makes developing sound theory and methods for social assessments of urban rivers a pressing concern. "Social connectivity" is one theoretical approach to assessing the relationship between the social use and physical condition of rivers. In this study we apply a social connectivity analysis to the American River Parkway in Sacramento, California. We combined observations of channel form with in person counts of users and activities, interviews with users, and reviews of planning documents to conduct a post project assessment of some of the major goals and use assumptions that informed the planning of the Parkway. We found that channel form and access to the river largely drove use patterns, many uses were quotidian and conventional but the largest user groups were there for special occasions, and that users viewed the Parkway positively but had low awareness of flood control and modifications to the hydrology. The results may be relevant to planners or researchers studying urban rivers and their use as public spaces.