San Antonio is an example of urban renewal done right. A city saddled with a system of stagnant, stinking waterways meandering through the city. They were the result of a flood control project further upstream meant to protect the city from the same waterways. Instead of paving them over, like other municipalities have done (Cincinnati), it seized the opportunity to create a dining and entertainment mecca. Today thousands of people flock from hundreds of miles away to sample the party atmosphere of the Riverwalk.
Essentially it's a series of canals lined with pedestrian walkways that are, themselves, lined with restaurants, clubs, and shops. The whole thing is unified by lush landscaping and a river taxi service that ferries people from one bar to the next. As technology and architecture has advanced through the years, the Riverwalk has been
expanded, and today not only runs its original course, but is fed by fountains, aqueducts, and other waterways that sometimes flow through the lobbies of adjacent hotels.
Today, the Riverwalk is San Antonio’s number one tourist attraction, and the major revenue generator for tourism in the city.
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