A ‘stream of culture': an integrated approach between urban developments and historical water infrastructures

The Rideau Canal, located between Kingston and Ottawa, Canada, has been a World Heritage Site since 2007. It was added to the World Heritage List (WHL) for being an excellent example of a slack water Canal in North America, as well as for its continued use throughout the years. UNESCO nominated this site in the WHL according to two criteria: for being a tangible representation of human creative genius and for representing an outstanding example of a type of infrastructure on a territorial scale, illustrating a significant stage in human history. Stressing the relationship between the Rideau Canal and the redevelopment of one specific area crossed by it - Lansdowne Park, Ottawa – this study outlines criticalities and challenges between urban development and cultural landscape conservation. The paper addresses these issues considering the Canal’s current safeguard actions within its buffer zone and evaluating the gaps between the protective measures outside the small buffer zone and the management of changes along the Canal. This analysis is developed through an in-depth study of current management plans, policies and legislation related to the protection of the Rideau Canal and the various stakeholders involved. Final remarks concern a comparison with a similar site in Milan, Italy. This correlation outlines alternative strategies for a sustainable integration - from the cultural, social and economic point of view - between water infrastructures and urban developments.