Yes, this makes such good sense to me. In Europe, rivers are often surrounded by parkland on either side as they flow through cities, such as the Elbe in Dresd

Yes, this makes such good sense to me. In Europe, rivers are often surrounded by parkland on either side as they flow through cities, such as the Elbe in Dresden. It's gorgeous public space, which benefits everyone, but it also is there for another reason -- the river floods fairly regularly, and so by leaving that as uninhabited park space the floods can happen without causing too much damage.