https://www.cbsnews.com/news/urban-rivers-portland-chicago/
'For decades, the Willamette River that runs through Portland, Oregon, was a
look-but-don't-touch situation.
"When we first moved here, there was no way in hell you'd get in the water,"
resident Matthew Mangus said.
The river was contaminated by raw sewage and had been closed for swimming since
1924, but now things are very different. Willie Levenson, founder of the Human
Access Project, helped turn the Willamette into a vibrant recreational space
that officially became swimmable again in 2012.
"Step number one — find a way to clean up the river. Step number two — there's
the cultural change around getting people to see there's value in this river,"
Levenson said.
A $1.4 billion pipe project that kept sewage from spilling into the river took
care of the first step. Then came step two — an annual inner tube parade called
"The Big Float" brought thousands to the water, making the river party central.
"I talk to people who tell me, 'I feel differently about our city now.' They
feel more connected to the city," Levenson said.
That's exactly what Nick Wesley is hoping to achieve in Chicago. His
non-profit, Urban Rivers, is leading the charge to transform the Chicago River.
He believes that within 10 years, it'll be a lot more commonplace to see people
swimming in the river.
"I think a lot of people see their waterways as a lot of unrealized potential,"
Wesley said.
While the idea of an urban river renaissance is providing hope for cities like
Chicago and Portland, there's still plenty of work to be done. Of the 3.5
million miles of rivers in the U.S., 50% are too polluted for fishing, boating
or swimming, according to American Rivers, a group focused on protecting and
restoring rivers.'
Via
Fix the News:
https://fixthenews.com/277-second-copernican-revolution/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
