Urban Waterways is a research and educational initiative which seeks to better understand the ongoing relationships between urban communities and their waterways. The project stemmed from a desire to fully explore Washington, D.C.’s ongoing relationship with the Anacostia River. How does a river become invisible? How does it fade from the public’s consciousness? What does that invisibility mean for the people living along its banks?
We have sought to explore such questions with the understanding that the impacts of waterways extend far beyond their banks. Communities and waterways share not only space, both physical and emotional, but histories, presents and futures. Such a dynamic connection can only be explored from a multitude of perspectives which include questions of justice, class, race, politics, health, development, faith, history, and the arts.
Recognizing the local is a reflection of national and international trends, the project has brought together a network comprised of communities and organizations in Washington, D.C., O’ahu (HI), Los Angeles (CA), Louisville (KY), the Gulf Coast, Spartanburg (SC), Baltimore (MD), Pittsburgh (PA), and London (UK).
The group includes activists, scholars, developers, faith leaders, government officials, community leaders, youth, and residents who have shared their best practices for advocating for the health of their waterways and communities, navigating their sometimes complex personal connections to the natural world, and positioning themselves to be active participants in helping to shape the futures of their cities.
With more than 60% of the world’s population expected to live in urban cities by 2025, the consideration of issues such as pollution, loss of flora and fauna, and resource depletion on urban communities, as well as the interplay of environmental and social conditions, is critical. As residents contend with the impacts of the transformation of their communities on multiple levels, such issues require creative and inclusive advocacy, as stakeholders strive to establish and maintain healthy, equitable communities.