Urban river reaches are some of the most heavily modified in the country and at the same time present some of the greatest constraints where restoration is attempted. More often than not complete re-naturalisation is impossible and improvement opportunities have to be realised through working with altered channel form and process. At the same time restoration must be careful not to increase flood risk which may threaten lives and livelihoods in these densely populated areas. This workshop session will attempt to synthesise past approaches to urban restoration and review the lessons learned to date, drawing information from participants on the following key areas:

• Type of modification dealt with
• Type of river on which the modification has occurred
• Background information used to define a restoration methodology
• Restoration methodologies adopted
• River response to restoration
• Lessons learned – ways to improve methods for the future
• Other useful information including Contractors, EA contacts etc.

Individual group findings will be documented during the workshop session and incorporated into an overall summary for presentation in a plenary session.