The river corridor is probably the largest area of managed retreat in an urban centre worldwide. How can our experience inform processes of managed retreat elsewhere? The question is central to this project, which has developed a model of ‘retreat’, ‘relocation’ and ‘re-imagining’. Re-imagining asks how can the land be re-used for projects that further lower environmental and social risks.
Managed Retreat
The river corridor is probably the largest area of managed retreat in an urban centre worldwide. How can our experience inform processes of managed retreat elsewhere? The question is central to this project, which has developed a model of ‘retreat’, ‘relocation’ and ‘re-imagining’. Re-imagining asks how can the land be re-used for projects that further lower environmental and social risks. Presentations on this theme can be found here.
Abandoned red zoned street in Avonside, October 2018
From red zone to green zone: abandoned streets in Bexley, October 2021
River times: (a) Timeless, showing a river contained within flood walls from its original state. (b) “Deep” river time, represented through thousands of years of course changes.
Source: Adapted from Brierley et al. 2023
