Study areas

The study area for UGOT’s Riverscape Fieldwork is the Göta River (Göta Älv) in western Sweden, particularly around the city of Gothenburg. The river – one of Sweden’s largest – flows from Lake Vänern to the Kattegat Sea and has played a central role in shaping Gothenburg’s development. The Frihamnen district is situated along the Göta River in the heart of Gothenburg. Once a rich wetland estuary with extensive reed beds, it supported diverse birdlife and served as hunting grounds in the 19th century. During the 20th century, the area became industrialized with harbor infrastructure, railways, and factories. Today, Frihamnen is undergoing a major transformation into a mixed-use urban district, facing significant ecological and social challenges.

This riverside zone spans approx. 1 km² and is a key case in the PlaCES project. Public events held in conjunction with the city’s 400th anniversary between 2021–2023 engaged artists, planners, and scientists in re-storying the site through participatory art and multispecies storytelling. Its ongoing transition has inspired UGOT researchers to explore heritage as a cultural ecosystem service.

Critical features of the area include: loss of wetlands, historical bird habitats (e.g., for the ruff and black redstart), and the experimental urban park Jubileumsparken, developed with climate resilience and biodiversity in mind. Challenges include balancing dense urban development with ecological restoration. Frihamnen offers a living laboratory for integrating cultural and ecological values in riverscape planning.

The city of Wiesbaden, Germany, has a historic connection to water. 250 km of rivers flow through the city area. Wiesbaden’s urban core lies in a basin and five rivers with numerous tributaries flow towards the center. A sixth river links the water system to the Rhine at the southern city border. Hot thermal springs attracted people at least since Roman times. In the 19^th century, Wiesbaden became an aristocratic health resort. With the rapid expansion during this time, a sewage system was created that also brought the rivers underground. Due to water pollution, the piping of streams was considered a major hygienic achievement. Today, the salutogenic use of the thermal water is limited and the stream water is mostly clean, but 14 km still run underground and are invisible to Wiesbadeners and visitors alike. Thus, the city aims at restoring the river system and daylighting some of the underground sections.

The Wellritz river flows underground in the city center as well as above ground in one of Wiesbaden’s landscape parks. Historically, the Wellritz valley was characterized by small-scale agriculture, linen bleaching and milling. Since the 1950s, the river has been straightened, plant nurseries, allotments and hobby gardens have moved into the area, while the surroundings have been urbanized. In the 1980s, the renaturation of the stream began. Today, the area is a highly valued recreational area with the restored stream as its main attraction. The valley is also an important corridor for cool air and provides flood retention. Issues result from the high recreational pressure, while large parts of the landscape corridor are privately used and inaccessible, as well as from sewage overflows from an adjacent settlement. The underground parts of the Wellritz River flow through densely built-up areas and daylighting has not yet been implemented.