Waterfront

[wburg]

What you're looking at is low water level when the image was taken--we have had multiple drought years, so you're looking at a bit of river bottom. When the water level is higher, it comes a lot closer to the river walk's edge.

This is due to the levee design. The levee doesn't have a flat vertical wall on the river side, it is sloped. The river walk is on the top of the levee, and it was designed to be usable even when the river was at its highest. The last Google street view you sent was taken atop a pier that is hanging out over the river, not "infill"--so it sounds like the approach you want is closer to Old Sacramento's approach, where the piers actually project over the river itself, between J and L Street. Stockton's river access is a deep-water channel, thus the "straighter" sides, originally intended to let ships tie up. The Sacramento River at that point used to be a dock, but hasn't served that purpose since the 1950s and the old transfer warehouses that extended over the river are gone.

Sounds like you prefer a more fussy, antiseptic look. I'm not so fond of that style myself.

[urbanadvocate]

I like the more called "urban look" with the walkways right next to the waterway but besides the constant flux in the waterways that occur an additional problem (one that Portland is now trying to resolve) is that development of concrete walkways takes away from vital water edge ecosystems. Yes we are in California and yes we sometimes put ecosystems in front of traditional means of development and design--but we should embrace it as a designer's challenge not an obstacle. I personally want a 3rd solution--one that allows us better access to the river but in a more natural setting. It really is not inviting right now. Any additional information on how W.Sacto is developing their edge?

[wburg]

There are several places where you can get a closer view of the water: the water intake structure at Matsui Park, where you can walk right out onto the river itself, the pedestrian walkways on the Tower Bridge, and there are several pedestrian "outcroppings" on the riverwalk south of the Tower that stick out over the river. When the river level is high they are out in the water. The new Old Sacramento general plan includes several proposed ways to get people closer to the water, including improving the walkway near the foot of I Street, currently in pretty rough condition, that brings you down to the water's edge, and replacing the wooden-tie walkway along the river itself with a synthetic material that will be more durable and less of a trip hazard.

I notice that Stockton's waterfront park is just a little jetty next to their "downtown arena" (one that fell off the radar of local arena discussions after Stockton declared bankruptcy) and I assume that it was part of that project...in retrospect, maybe not the best idea.

The old-school Corps of Engineers approach called for keeping levees free of trees, but the latest studies demonstrate that vegetation on a levee can help make it stronger--the root systems help stabilize the soil of the levee. They also provide shade in the afternoons, an important consideration for a smooth concrete walkway. In cooler climates like Portland, or humid climates where shade is less useful for cooling (low humidity makes shade far more efficient as a means of cooling) tree cover is less critical. But watch Sacramentans in public spaces sometimes--in summer, they dart from shadow to shadow to stay out of the sun. And people tend to avoid large, exposed open areas in general--they prefer walking along places that feel somewhat enclosed, like an outdoor room.