Research - Urban Rivers and Canals
Research on understanding, monitoring and managing urban rivers and canals has been based on the application of three of our survey and assessment tools: URS, MoRPh and RCA.
We have shown how the condition of rivers and canals is strongly affected by the environmental setting. However, within any particular setting, physical habitats can evolve, can be supported, and can interact with colonizing vegetation to greatly uplift the physical condition of a river or canal even when located in the most degraded, modified and confined settings.
Sponsors and Collaborators #
In alphabetical order:
Canal and River Trust, EU Life, Environment Agency, King’s College London, Natural Environment Research Council, Queen Mary University of London, University of Birmingham
Selected Publications #
Davenport, A.J., Gurnell, A.M., P.D. Armitage 2001) Classifying urban rivers. Water Science and Technology, 43, 9, 147-156. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2001.0527
Davenport, A.J., Gurnell, A.M. and Armitage, P.D., 2004. Habitat Survey And Classification Of Urban Rivers. River Research and Applications, 20, 687-704. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.785
Boitsidis, A.J., Gurnell, A.M., Scott, M., Petts, G.E., Armitage, P. A , 2006. Decision support system for identifying the habitat quality and rehabilitation potential of urban rivers. Water and Environment Journal, 20, 130-140. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-6593.2005.00005.x
Gurnell, A.M., Lee, M., Souch, C. 2007. Urban rivers: Hydrology, Geomorphology, Ecology and Opportunities for Change. Geography Compass 1, 1118–1137. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8198.2007.00058.x
Francis, R.A., Hoggart, S.P.G., Gurnell, A.M. and Coode, C., 2008. Meeting the Challenges of urban river habitat restoration: developing a methodology for the River Thames through central London. Area, 404): 435–445. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4762.2008.00826.x
Cockel, C.P. and Gurnell, A.M., 2011. An investigation of the composition of the urban riparian soil propagule bank along the River Brent, Greater London, UK, in comparison with previous propagule bank studies in rural areas. Urban Ecosystems Urban Ecosystems 15: 367-387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-011-0203-6
Gurnell, A.M., Shuker, L., Lee, M., Boitsidis, A. 2012. Gradients in the biophysical structure of urban rivers and their association with river channel engineering. River Research and Applications, 28, 908-925. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.1487
Shuker, L., Gurnell, A.M., Hull, T. 2024. Biogeomorphic response to river restoration of a suburban river with large wood: creating a restoration vision and cost-effectively monitoring the response trajectory using the citizen science MoRPh survey. River Research and Applications, 40, 1106–1124. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4262
Gurnell, A., Bennett, R., Craddock, S. and Chilton-Wilson, M., 2025. Assessing the Physical Habitat Condition of Navigable Canals and Rivers in England. River Research and Applications,42(1), 262-276. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.70052