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River Cities Network

A transdisciplinary and global network to promote ecologically and socially inclusive revitalization of rivers and waterways and the landscapes, cities and neighborhoods that co-exist with them

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Urban bathing in the Rhône and Saône

Studio "Baignades Urbaines" aims to investigate the future trends and challenges of urban river bathing/swimming in metropolitan areas.

See how they do it

Colectivo Rescate Río San Pedro

The "Colectivo Rescate Río San Pedro in Quito" exemplifies the profound impact that civil society can have on the restoration and management of urban rivers.

Meet the team

Meeting

Rivers in Transition - Second RCN F2F Meeting

Tue, Apr 28 2026, 12pm

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Rivers in Transition, being held in Aswan (Egypt) in April 2026, will be the River Cities Network’s second face-to-face international convocation, following its inaugural event in Bangkok in November 2023. While the first meeting was held to consolidate the network and to plan its development, the Aswan event has been designed to address the way rivers across the planet are experiencing a range of transitions arising from human interventions and broader patterns of Anthropocene climate change, including global warming and sea level rise.

In Situ Graduate School

Mapping the Upper Nile: Reviving Nubian Heritage for a Sustainable Future

Sat, Apr 18 2026, 12pm

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Call for Participants for an international and multidisciplinary In-Situ Graduate School (ISGS).

A collaborative programme of the International Institute of Asian Studies (Leiden), University of Aswan, and the Fakhour Ana community-based foundation (Aswan)

ISGS dates: 18-26 April 2026

Go to the website of IIAS for detailed information about this call.

Book Talk

RCN Book Talk - Is a River Alive? By Robert Macfarlane

Tue, Dec 9 2025, 3pm

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In our first online book club event, we are inviting Tatiana Thieme (Geography, UCL) to lead a discussion of Robert Macfarlane’s recent book, Is a River Alive? (Hamish Hamilton, 2025). Please join us here on Teams on Tuesday 9 December at 15:00 CET.

Wednesday, 12 November 2025 - 15:11

River Revitalization in Nairobi

One and a half years after devastating floods wiped out large stretches of riverside settlements along the Ngong River in Mukuru and Kayaba, Nairobi, the newly formed Ngong River Planning Consortium, together with the River Cities Network (RCN), IIAS, and the Southeast Asia Neighborhoods Network (SEANNET), gathered 15 experts in river revitalization from all over the world in Mukuru for an in-situ engagement project from 7-14 September 2025. The objective of the workshop was to help the Consortium foster learning across disciplines and sectors and to provide an opportunity to analyze and critique post-flooding river revitalization designs, while developing a multi-scalar framework for river basin planning.

Monday, 4 November 2024 - 15:04

Dutch Diplomat visited Pulicat Lagoon Interpretation Center

The Netherlands Consul General to India, Mr. Ewout de Wit, based in Bangalore, visited the Pulicat village on 28-Aug-2024. It was his keen interest to know about Pulicat maritime history and its heritage that he visited the village. Architect Xavier Benedict, who has been maintaining the Pulicat Interpretation Centre since 2009, briefed the Consul General about the first Dutch administrative centre since 1602 till 1799. And also explained about the importance of the lagoon and its riverine ecosystem to the Southeast Coast of India. After the COVID lockdown, this is the first visit of the Dutch diplomat to Pulicat. It shows the importance of the place and its importance for maritime heritage.

Tuesday, 29 October 2024 - 11:43

Research Project and exhibition highlight: Kênh Tẻ. Past/Future/Intermedia 

The Biography of the Sai Gon River project focused on Kênh Tẻ’s surroundings, capturing the community’s stories to preserve the canal’s current memory. Developed by the researchers from the School of Communication and Design, RMIT Vietnam, within the global River Cities Network, the project created methods for collecting everyday life stories around Kênh Tẻ. It used VR, AR, photography and experimental poetry to design an immersive exhibition, engaging local and international audiences and challenging the notions of heritage in Vietnam. The exhibition designers wanted to show that everyday spaces, like Kênh Tẻ, are crucial to understanding the development and history of the city.