Abstract

The fragmentation that characterizes the current urban structure of the city of Valdivia has affected the accessibility and legibility of its natu-ral structuring element: its hydrographic network. Deficiencies in urban planning have in turn brought environmental degradation and exclusion of public uses associated with these riverfronts. The protec-tion of the ecological value of rivers and their banks, as well as the provision of quality public spaces, are objectives of sustainable urban development. Faced with this challenge, an assessment of fluvial public spaces is proposed, which covers morphological, so-cial and ecological aspects of urban design, with the aim of contributing to the design and planning of these places from the perspective of sustainability. This article focuses on the discussion and evalua-tion of the concepts of physical accessibility and legibility in ten case studies located on the banks of the Calle-Calle and Cruces rivers.