Abstract
River areas are undoubtedly among the most valuable territorial areas in Europe, not only in terms of their eco-landscape and use but also, culturally. However, there is currently a sharp reduction in the extension and increase of deterioration of riverbanks around the world. A substantial part of losses and deterioration are associated with the artificialization of the territories, derived mainly from a less than respectful urbanization around these landscapes. Urban and peri-urban riverbanks are landscapes in expansion due to the continuous growth of built-up spaces. Therefore, they should be areas of preferential consideration, especially in territories with a marked tendency to dryness, like the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. This article aims to contribute to our understanding of these spaces through the study of four distinct cases in the centre of the peninsula, in particular: the river Manzanares running through the city of Madrid, the river Tagus in Toledo and running through Talavera de la Reina, and the river Henares in Guadalajara. Three of the four urban water courses analyzed are zones of special interest for waterfowl: they sustain a winter population that varies between 745 and 1529 birds and they provide a home to some globally threatened species. The density of the riparian birds is also very high during winter, these values oscillating between a mean of 141.16 and 240.12 birds/10 ha. It should be noted that the diversity of this group of birds in the four regions studies is also high (H > 2.4 nats). The article also examines the interventions and the urban planning criteria applied to these urban and peri-urban river spaces, inferring the need to reassess urban planning in river areas to ensure it is compatible with their operation, values and possible uses.
Highlights
River landscapes are among those most affected by human intervention around the world [1,2,3,4], especially in historically longstanding urban areas where their alteration dates back many centuries [5]
Analysis of the Cases In May 2016, the Madrid City Council began to implement the measures included in the “Plan for Renaturalization of the River Manzanares as it passes through the city of Madrid.”
The Integrated Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development of the municipality of Guadalajara was approved in December 2016, and it included a set of actions aimed at, “Recovering the land occupied by the right bank of the River Henares from the neighborhood of ‘Los Manantiales’ to the ‘Finca de Castillejos’ [72].”
Summary
River landscapes are among those most affected by human intervention around the world [1,2,3,4], especially in historically longstanding urban areas where their alteration dates back many centuries [5]. Rivers and their associated landscapes have been affected by intense fragmentation processes, which cause significant simplification and a loss of connectivity This circumstance limits the river’s ability to flow uninterrupted and it affects many of their fundamental processes and functions. Riverbanks are laden with objective and subjective value, derived from the elements they contain and from the cultural references they have accumulated [14]. These values are typical of the most natural spaces that are well-preserved and only sporadically affected by human pressure. They are characteristic of other less well valued river areas, such as those located in areas that have received intense intervention and that have been modified most significantly by human activity, the greatest example of which are probably urban areas
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