Modernization and its conveniences have obscured our relationship with the natural environment. We no longer have to personally interact with nature when consuming its resources. Consequently, we lack direct feedback from our exploits, and have lost any moral sensibility towards the finite resources of our planet. This unwanted consequence of modernity has perhaps most explicitly manifested itself on the urban riverbanks of the developed world. Such riparian landscapes, once animated with human activity, have become desolate environments, often programmed solely to serve utilitarian functions. At best, some have been revitalized to accommodate recreational amenities, but the direct interaction that was once necessary to utilize the river for its resources has been replaced by invisible machinery, turning the river’s role in sustaining the city into an abstract concept. The condition found on the banks of the Danube River in Budapest is the epitome of this unfortunate phenomenon. While inhabitants draw water from the faucet, buy fish in the supermarket, and expel waste into an enigmatic drain, the riverbank is far out of sight, deserted, and the river’s role in satisfying their needs is never considered. Instead, the Danube is revered only for the pomp and grandeur it bestows upon the extravagant portrait of the boastful city. In response to this skewed perception, this thesis presents a proposal on the site of Széchenyi Square, located at the base of the Chain Bridge in the heart of Budapest. Historically significant as the main port and gateway to the merchant town of Pest, the Square has since abandoned its role as mediator between city and river, and has instead become a mediator of automotive traffic. The proposal presented in this thesis revives its role as a gateway, but not in the traditional sense. It conceives a riparian portal that allows the passer-by to experience an alternate reality – a place where nature and city are superimposed, and the modern individual is granted direct interaction with his natural resources.

Modernization and its conveniences have obscured our relationship with the natural environment. We no longer have to personally interact with nature when consuming its resources. Consequently, we lack direct feedback from our exploits, and have lost any moral sensibility towards the finite resources of our planet. This unwanted consequence of modernity has perhaps most explicitly manifested itself on the urban riverbanks of the developed world. Such riparian landscapes, once animated with human activity, have become desolate environments, often programmed solely to serve utilitarian functions. At best, some have been revitalized to accommodate recreational amenities, but the direct interaction that was once necessary to utilize the river for its resources has been replaced by invisible machinery, turning the river’s role in sustaining the city into an abstract concept. The condition found on the banks of the Danube River in Budapest is the epitome of this unfortunate phenomenon. While inhabitants draw water from the faucet, buy fish in the supermarket, and expel waste into an enigmatic drain, the riverbank is far out of sight, deserted, and the river’s role in satisfying their needs is never considered. Instead, the Danube is revered only for the pomp and grandeur it bestows upon the extravagant portrait of the boastful city. In response to this skewed perception, this thesis presents a proposal on the site of Széchenyi Square, located at the base of the Chain Bridge in the heart of Budapest. Historically significant as the main port and gateway to the merchant town of Pest, the Square has since abandoned its role as mediator between city and river, and has instead become a mediator of automotive traffic. The proposal presented in this thesis revives its role as a gateway, but not in the traditional sense. It conceives a riparian portal that allows the passer-by to experience an alternate reality – a place where nature and city are superimposed, and the modern individual is granted direct interaction with his natural resources.

All living things mostly the humans, as builders of civilizations, have always been in intrinsic bonds with water. This interaction between water (oceans, seas, lakes, rivers etc.) and settlements has existed since ancient civilizations. Among water resources, &lsquo / flowing waters&rsquo / such as rivers, streams, creeks, etc. have a prominent role as they are the lifeblood of most cities in terms of providing transportation, security, energy, irrigation, commerce, and recreation. By the late 19th century, developments of terrestrial transportation modes diminished the magnetism of rivers and riverfronts, and growing industries led to the deterioration of rivers. Owing to these reasons, along with many others, they turned into sewage channels, were covered up, and became water scopes detached from the urban life. Particularly since the 1970s, with more attention given to sustainability of resources, a greater awareness has grown of the vital role of urban rivers as a resource for humans and a lifeline for cities. After being neglected for decades, urban rivers have started to be rehabilitated to solve the related problems. The new approach to urban river rehabilitation beyond classical practices that aim at recovering the physical conditions of rivers has come to the fore to address the problems comprehensively. Instead of independent and one-dimensional practices, the urban rivers have become to be seen as a vital part of urban water system and of the city itself. While rehabilitating urban rivers, recovering river health can be ensured provided that the entire urban water ecosystem is taken into consideration. The ecocity approach is one of the major new approaches that geared toward achieving a healthy city, and sustainability of water system is the significant goal within this approach. In this regard, the thesis first asserts that the ecocity criteria are likely to give way to a more sustainable future for urban rivers. Besides being a part of the ecosystem, urban rivers have transformed together with the surrounding built environment throughout the history of cities. Significant focal elements of the urban pattern, urban rivers should be dealt with other urban focal points, with the introduced concept of river-city integration, which is proposed as the second assertion of the thesis. In this respect, the study attempts to investigate urban rivers and their rehabilitation in relation with both the ecocity approach, and the river-city integration concept. The research methodology in the present study involves comparative anaysis of best practices and case study analysis. Porsuk River and the city of Eskisehir, which the river passes through, were selected as a case for empirical study. Criteria sets that determined within the frames of ecocity and river-city integration, and the testing of the criteria in the case area offers an opportunity to contribute to literature of river and city coexistence.

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, Florida, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-297).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, Florida, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-297).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, Florida, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-297).

<p>The birth of democracy in South Africa in 1994 not only meant the end of apartheid, but also served as the catalyst for community participation in the affairs of local government. Despite the creation of an enabling environment, i.e. the adoption of the concept of Developmental Local Government and Integrated Development Planning Framework to ensure the participation of communities, public participation remains contested today and still does not achieve its expected results. A range of problems besets public participation in governance and development planning. Accordingly, this thesis presents a case study of the barriers to meaningful public participation as well as exploration of the context and extent of public participation in Ward 28, Elsies River, Cape Town, South Africa. The investigation examined the link between public participation, development planning and service delivery. In order to achieve the stated aim, the researcher employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods including secondary analysis, observation, informal interviewing, focus group discussions as well as the administration of a structured questionnaire to various stakeholders. Based on the empirical results of this research, the study provides a number of developmental guidelines and public participation recommendations to enhance planning and service delivery, especially in poor communities.</p>

<p>The birth of democracy in South Africa in 1994 not only meant the end of apartheid, but also served as the catalyst for community participation in the affairs of local government. Despite the creation of an enabling environment, i.e. the adoption of the concept of Developmental Local Government and Integrated Development Planning Framework to ensure the participation of communities, public participation remains contested today and still does not achieve its expected results. A range of problems besets public participation in governance and development planning. Accordingly, this thesis presents a case study of the barriers to meaningful public participation as well as exploration of the context and extent of public participation in Ward 28, Elsies River, Cape Town, South Africa. The investigation examined the link between public participation, development planning and service delivery. In order to achieve the stated aim, the researcher employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods including secondary analysis, observation, informal interviewing, focus group discussions as well as the administration of a structured questionnaire to various stakeholders. Based on the empirical results of this research, the study provides a number of developmental guidelines and public participation recommendations to enhance planning and service delivery, especially in poor communities.</p>