Innovative Approaches to Revitalizing Urban Riversides for Enhanced Leisure and Well-being

© 2025 by the Authors. Licensee Whioce Publishing, Singapore. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )

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Abstract

As societal priorities shift towards spatial quality and leisure pursuits, riverside sites offer significant potential for enhancing living environments and promoting leisure activities. This study delves into the relationship between the spatial qualities of riverside areas in old industrial cities and their capacity to foster leisure and human well-being, aiming to formulate design guidelines that preserve the unique characteristics of these sites. Noting the dearth of academic discourse on spatial qualities and design in this context, this research emphasizes the identification of key spatial features that can revitalize urban rivers as leisure destinations, which derives a set of design principles. These principles underscore the importance of diverse and distinctive spatial qualities in successful riverside regeneration, and highlight the role of high-quality spaces in promoting leisure and well-being. Finally, the research concludes with recommendations for creating impactful spatial qualities for future riverside regeneration projects.

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