The social connectivity of urban rivers

In contemplating how people use rivers, we can define a range of human activities in relation to height above the water (i.e., instream to banktop), a vertical dimension of human connectivity with rivers. Many uses occur on the top of the bank, such as quiet contemplation, walking, or cycling along a riverside trail, while others depend on contact with the water itself, such as wading, diving, and canoeing (which presupposes adequate water quality). Many of these relationships are illustrated by the challenge of reconnecting Cairo with the Nile.