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Posts Tagged ‘River’

Trinity River Park: Huge New 10,000 Acre Urban Nature District for Dallas

18 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

green-park-dallas

Designed to restore and augment the city’s floodplain, this new green recreation space features thousands of acres of forest as well as playgrounds, lawns and trails. Upon completion, it will be one of the biggest urban green space initiatives in the country.

park-view-flood-plain

In a state not exactly known for its greenery (or environmentalism), this project in Texas by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates is designed in part to address a critical and ongoing issue: flooding damage during severe weather events.”I believe we can create the most value and the greatest benefit to our citizens when we complete projects around nature,” said mayor Mike Rawlings  of the project.

trinity-park-paths

trinity-park-renderings

The park aims to serve both recreational and engineering purposes, shoring up the city against future floods while creating a great green asset for citizens and visitors. Developed in collaboration with government engineers, it will be part community resource but also (and critically) part infrastructural insurance against the effects of climate change.

dallas-flood-plain-present

dallas-flood-plain-project

The development is part of a larger series of projects along the flood plain and will link into over seventy miles of regional trails. At an estimated cost of $ 50 million, the park is not cheap but surprisingly inexpensive given its scope and aims. So far, a private donor has stepped forward offering $ 20 million of the funds needed, leaving a smaller bill for the city and state governments as well.

Pier 55 Park: Undulating Landscape to Hover Over Hudson River in NYC

Following the success of the hovering High Line, an elevated park set on re-purposed rail tracks, New York City aims to pull off another park space in an unused space, this time at Pier 55 …

Underline: 10-Mile Park to Trace Path of Elevated Rail in Miami

Following in the footsteps of the High Line (and Low Line) of New York City, the Underline project aims to take the underutilized space below Miami’s elevated MetroRail and transform it into a …

Disused 15-Mile Railway to Become Country-Wide Park in Singapore

An ambitious infrastructure conversion project in Singapore will turn 15 miles of a abandoned rail corridor into a continuous mixed-use trail-and-park system stretching from one end of the …

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[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Bike on the River: Cycle-Powered Gym Boat Glides Through Paris

01 Dec

[ By SA Rogers in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

paris-navigating-gym-1

Well, here’s one way to get some exercise and simultaneously enjoy views of a beautiful city without getting rained on or dealing with traffic.  Gliding along the surface of the Seine in Paris, past such landmarks as the Notre Dame Cathedral, ‘The Paris Navigating Gym’ gets most of its power from the humans operating the stationary bicycles inside. Supplemented by rooftop solar panels, the boat is a mobile exercise facility and relaxing tour of the city all at once, separated from the noise and chaos of the streets.

paris-navigating-gym-2

Architect Carlo Ratti collaborated with fitness manufacturing company Technogym, non-profit Terreform ONE and urban generation institute URBEM to develop the project. Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab, which describes itself as ‘urban imagination and social innovation through design & science,’ Ratti aims to explore the potential of power generation through the movement of human bodies.

paris-navigating-gym-3

The boat itself is pretty cool, accommodating up to 45 people on the bikes and other fitness equipment made by Technogym. As they work out, they can keep track of how much energy they’re producing as well as their fitness progress. An inverter convert the pedal power into utility grade electricity, powering the electronic elements of the equipment and propelling the boat. Excess energy is fed into the grid.

paris-gym-boat

The design of the boat is based on that of Bateaux Mouches, ferry boats for tourists that have dotted the Seine for nearly a century. The panoramic glass facades looking out onto the water sure beat the views of parking lots and televisions at most local gyms.

The Charge Cycle: Bike-Powered Public Phone Charging Station

Soon, you’ll be able to charge your iPhone at strategic locations around New York City – but you’ll have to put in a little leg work. The Charge Cycle is a stationary bike equipped with an iPhone …

H2O to Go: Bike Bottle Makes Water from Thin Air as You Cycle

Using air flow and solar energy, this ingenious device creates up to 16 ounces (a half-liter) per hour of drinkable water via condensation as you ride, quenching your thirst just when and where …

Bridge in Paris: Inflatable, Jumpable Urban Playground

With space increasingly at a premium in cities around the world, bodies of water – and the structures that span them – are becoming host to all sorts of unexpected functions. This concept by …

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[ By SA Rogers in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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Pier Park: Undulating Landscape to Hover Over Hudson River in NYC

30 May

nyc floating park

Following the success of the hovering High Line, an elevated park set on re-purposed rail tracks, New York City aims to pull off another park space in an unused space, this time at Pier 55 floating along the waterfront near the Chelsea endpoint of the High Line.

pier park

pier gardens

Designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, also behind a garden bridge project for London, the park will be supported on pier-like columns that branch out to hold up the green space above. This new park is as spread out and open as the High Line is linear and streamline, also offering experiences at different elevations compared to its relatively flat cousin.

pier wandering

pier pressure

“The pier will be a place of discovery, where visitors can wander and wonder, finding something new around every corner: places to lounge, eat lunch, or just lie in the grass,” said Heatherwick Studio. With its open spaces and various levels, the park is well-suited to hosting events and performances in the open air.

pier deck

pier space

pier side

The project is being funded by Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg, who have pledged personal money and set up a non-profit to fund it. After a series of lawsuits and delays, the architects have now been given the go-ahead by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Hudson River Park Trust.


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10 Winter Miles of Stand Up Paddling on South Platte River

09 Jan

January 3, 2016. First SUP paddle of the year with Rob Bean. We paddled 10 miles on the South Platte River from highway 58 to Kuner. Great weather, river flow ~900 cfs at Kersey, several bald eagles and hundreds of ducks. There are no portages on this river section since we started just below the Plumb Ditch Dam (the second diversion dam if you paddle from Evans).

We started from a gravel bar under the new bridge on highway 58 – a right river shore with parking on a wide shoulder, a shorter, steeper route with barbed wire fence on the upstream bridge site. Downstream bridge site may be more convenient without the fence, but with a little longer walk. You can reach the bridge by turning into the new highway 49 at traffic lights from Colorado highway 34 between Evans and Kersey.

Rob posted his pictures on facebook. They actually show much better our launching site.

Start at gravel bar under the new highway 58 bridge

Start at gravel bar under the new highway 58 bridge

Somewhere on the river around Kersey

Somewhere on the river around Kersey

Ducks, ducks, and more ducks. Hundreds of them.

Ducks, ducks, and more ducks. Hundreds of them.

winter SUP paddling on South Platte River

Finishing 10 mile trip at Kuner

A little bit icy landing at landing (left shore upstream of the bridge)

A little bit icy landing at Kuner (left shore upstream of the bridge)

Related posts:
South Platte River below Denver – river guide
Starting 2015/16 Winter Paddling Season on South Platte River
Paddling SUP on South Platte River from Kersey to Kuner
South Platte River from Wildcat to Evans by SUP


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Starting 2015/16 Winter Paddling Season on South Platte River

16 Nov
A middle of November. It’s time to start my winter paddling season. Of course, Horsetooth and other local lakes in Fort Collins are still open, so I can continue my summer style paddling. Nevertheless, I took the Sea Wind canoe, Pixel (aka water Corgi) and went for the first fall/winter paddling on the South Platte River.

We went to Masters and started to paddling upstream. However the dam just above Master bridge was closed and diverting water to Jackson Reservoir, so we paddled a couple miles downriver instead. Beautiful weather and a good flow of ~900cfs @ Weldona. Actually, I spent more time photographing than paddling.

I am hoping to do more paddling on different sections of the South Platte River during the incoming winter season and, finally, update my river guide. Would you like to join me? The South Platte with a typical winter flow is just a wading river and suitable for safe paddling with any boat – kayak, canoe or SUP. Well, a paddleboard would require some experience and a short fin due to possible shallows. I don’t think that you need to dress for immersion, but I always take extra clothes for change.

I am still sorting my blogs after migrating to a new server. If you encounter any problem or missing links please let me know.

aerial view of eastern Colorado landscape with South Platte River, water channels, reservoirs and irrigated farmland

South Platte River in eastern Colorado below Masters with Jackson Reservoir ditch, looking downstream

aerial view of South Platte River in eastern Colorado with a canoe on sandbar, fall scenery

Looking down from Phantom 3 drone. Can you see the Sea Wind canoe, me and Pixel?

aerial view of expedition decked canoe on a sandbar, South Platte River in eastern Colorado

Let’s look a little closer

river sandbar texture and pattern - South Platte RIver in eastern Colorado

and, even closer

South Platte River in eastern Colorado between Greeley and Fort Morgan, a typical fall or winter scenery

A typical fall or winter scenery on the South Platte lit by the low setting sun


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Portable & Potable: Water-Purifying Sculpture Cleans East River

03 Jul

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

portable potable water

Combining practical water purification and the fun of watching hidden processes come to life, this gigantic structure installed at MOMA PS1 in New York City features a dazzling array of plants and pipes made to be watched and enjoyed by people.

portable water clean at night

portable water catcher pipes

Developed by Andrés Jaque’ and his architecture firm, winner of the 2015 Young Architects Program, this mobile filtration plant (dubbed Cosmo) takes in polluted water supplied by the city (from or) matching pollution levels of the East River and renders it clean and drinkable.

portable plant container cylinders

Filtering out particulates, balancing acidity levels and introducing dissolved oxygen, the array of spiralling tubes can process nearly 1,000 gallons of water a day, with all its functions on display.

portable hanging planters

Two portable four-wheeled rolling vehicles below can be pushed to wherever the party may be. The design brief called for shade, seating and water, the last of these clearly dominates this particular winner.

portable water system display

portable party water design

portable water purification plant

“This year’s proposal takes one of the Young Architects Program’s essential requirements–providing a water feature for leisure and fun–and highlights water itself as a scarce resource,” said Pedro Gadanho, Curator in MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design. “Relying on off-the-shelf components from agro-industrial origin, an exuberant mobile architecture celebrates water-purification processes and turns their intricate visualization into an unusual backdrop for the Warm Up sessions.” (Photography by Miguel de Guzmán).

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South Platte River from Wildcat to Evans by SUP

16 Mar
March 14, 2015. 16 miles stand up paddling (SUP) trip from Wildcat on St Vrain Creek on the South Platte River to Evans Rob Bean. Beautiful, warm weather. Numereous bald eagles, turkeys and other birds, one turtle, and surprisingly a lot of people with children playing on the river.

River flow: St Vrain Cr at mouth 230 cfs, South Platte River at Fort Lupton ~350cfs. Water level on the South Platte was lower than during my last trip. Some of rocks near Wildcat Mound visible in my aerial photos were exposed. I used a short fin on my Badfish SUP and paddled without special problems, but Rob was forced to remove his regular fin in the last miles of paddling..

We finished our trip at highway 85 bridge at Evans about 1 mile upstream from the closed Riverside Park. I was describing this place in my previous posts: comfortable parking (limited to ~10 cars) at the end of frontage road, a pretty good river access under the bridge, but the place has a lot of “urban” character (graffiti, garbage, beer bottles).

Rob’s pictures from this paddling on facebook.

Access to the river from the county road 19.5 looks more or less the same as before flooding. River flow ~200cfs. I started paddling trips here with flow as low as 90cfs.

Wildcat – March 8, 2015. Access to the river from the county road 19.5 looks more or less the same as before flooding. River flow ~200cfs.

paddling South Platte River by SUP

Rob is paddling on St Vrain Creek just above confluence with South Platte River

paddling South Platte River by SUP

The first diversion dam above highway 60 bridge.

paddling South Platte River by SUP

Railroad trestle below highway 60 bridge.

paddling South Platte River by SUP

Portaging the 2nd dam. Water was low enough to just go over the dam.

paddling South Platte River by SUP

Landing at Evans under highway 85 bridge.

Related posts:
Exploring the Upper North Platte River in Colorado by SUP
Paddling SUP on South Platte River from Kersey to Kuner
South Platte River below Denver – GPS/photo river guide


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Aerial View of South Platte River at Wildcat Mound below Platteville

12 Mar

A stretch of the South Platte River along Wildcat Mound below confluence with St Vrain Creek is my favorite river section for paddling. It can be accesswd from the county road 19.5 bridge on the St Vrain Creek (north of the power station). River access is relatively easy without a need to climb any fences. From here you have 1 mile of paddling to the confluence. This may be a start of a longer downriver trip or just downstream/upstream workout. The St Vrain current is pretty mild and you can easily paddle upstream. The South Platte is, in turn, much faster with some shallows and even little rock gardens (easy to navigate). It is more interesting for paddling downstream and more challenging for paddling upstream than the river section below Evans.

During my last trip (March 10, 2015) I shot some aerial pictures of the river at Wildcat Mound from a low flying drone. This place is about 1 mile below confluence. There is a shallow rapid just below the confluence. It gave a very good workout when I was paddling back upstream. River flow was ~120 cfs at St Vrain Cr and ~400cfs on South Platte at Ft Lupton (several diversion dams upstream).

For comparison you can check pictures from my packrafting trip in June, 2011. The 2013 flooding cleared all previous log jams on the St Vrain. You can still see these huge cottonwood trees in the water, but they do not block the river.

South Platte River aerial view

South Platte River at Wildcat Mound looking up stream

South Platte River aerial view

South Platte River with Sea Wind canoe

South Platte River aerial view

South Platte River at Wildcat Mound with a little rock garden looking down stream

Related posts:
Paddling SUP on South Platte River from Kersey to Kuner
Opening 2015 Paddling Season on the South Platte River
South Platte River below Denver – GPS/photo river guide


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Paddling SUP on South Platte River from Kersey to Kuner

10 Mar
March 8, 2015. A short, 7 mile, stand up paddling (SUP) trip on the South Platte River from Kersey to Kuner with Rob Bean and a company of goose, deer, and bald eagles. It was easy paddling with a good flow of 1100 cfs and beautiful warm weather. After, paddling I did some river scouting around Evans Riverside Park and further upstream.

Rob’s pictures from this paddling on facebook.

paddling SUP on South Platte River

Launching our paddleboards below Kersey bridge next to water gauge station

paddling SUP on South Platte River

I paddled my Badfish SUP with a short fin and never touched the bottom. Rob paddled with a regular fin and had to step out of his board once or twice, but I believe it would be possible to avoid any shallows with a more careful navigation.

paddling SUP on South Platte River

Finishing our run at Kuner on left shore above the bridge

paddling SUP on South Platte River

A typical bridge river access on the South Platte.

A part of Riverside Park at Evans reopened in September 2014 with entry from 42nd Street. There is access to a small lake, but no access to the river.

A part of Riverside Park at Evans reopened in September 2014 with entry from 42nd Street. There is access to a small lake, but no access to the river.

Evans river access

A bike trail going under hwy 85 bridge at Evans. Off road parking at the end of frontage road. The river access is not bad for the South Platte standards (no fences), but the under bridge scenery is pretty ugly.

Bike trail destroyed by South Platte River flooding

And, the bike trail ends just below the bridge. This is how probably the river shore looks further downstream at Riverside Park after the 2013 flooding.

St Vrain Creek above confluence with the South Platte River.

Let’s move 16 miles upstream: St Vrain Creek at Wildcat about 1 mile before the confluence with the South Platte.

Access to the river from the county road 19.5 looks more or less the same as before flooding. River flow ~200cfs. I started paddling trips here with flow as low as 90cfs.

Access to the river from the county road 19.5 (no fences) looks more or less the same as before flooding. River flow ~200cfs. I have started paddling trips here with flow as low as 90cfs.

Related posts:
Opening 2015 Paddling Season on the South Platte River
Scouting and Paddling the South Platte River after 2013 Flooding
South Platte River below Denver – GPS/photo river guide


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Opening 2015 Paddling Season on the South Platte River

08 Mar
winter paddling on South Platte River

Paddling Sea Wind canoe upstream of the South Platte River above Masters

March 6, 2015. Finally, I started my 2015 paddling season on the South Platte River. I took Sea Wind canoe to Masters (about 28 miles east of Greeley on highway 34) and paddled 2.5 miles upstream and back: easy workout, a short photo session, watching bald eagles and deer.

Masters offers a typical bridge access to the river with a barbed wire fence and wide shoulder parking. It is similar to Kuner access, perhaps a little easier and shorter. There is a diversion dam just above the bridge. It was open and easy to paddle in both directions. Several diversion dams below Kuner can be open and runnable, at least in winter. River flow was much lower (~650cfs) than at Kersey (~1000cfs), but I still had plenty of water to paddle.

Riverside Park at Evans.The main park access from 37th Street remains closed, but the park was partially open in September 2014. Here is information from City of Evans webpage:

On September 13, 2013, Colorado experienced widespread flood destruction from what the media referred to as “biblical” rains. Riverside Park was completely destroyed in that flood.
One year after the flood, on September 13, 2014, the City was able to proudly open a section of the park accessible from 42nd Street. The 7-acre Riverside Lake was opened for fishing and a portion of the trail around the lake was opened as well.

It would be worth to check if there is an easy access to the river from the reopened part of the park. Last year, I was looking for an alternative river access at Evans. There is a possibility to launch boats under the highway 85 bridge (the end of the frontage road on left shore where a bike trail starts).

South Platte River 2 miles above Masters

South Platte River 2 miles above Masters

Related posts:
Scouting and Paddling the South Platte River after 2013 Flooding
Opening 2014 Paddling Season on the South Platte River
South Platte River below Denver – GPS/photo river guide


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