A Study on the Potential of a Historical Weir as Waterfront Space

Observations on Activities of Visitors at Ichinoi-seki, the Katsura River

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of Ichinoi-seki, a historical weir at the Katsura River of Kyoto, as waterfront space. Activities of the visitors were observed one week day and one weekend day in each season. Spaces of the weir were also analyzed through simple survey of the site. The result shows several spatial use characteristics, such as fewness of entries to the weir, concentration of uses on the spaces easily accessible from the banks, and dominance of water associated activities to the general outdoor activities. The level of water from the top of the structures as well as the depth of the water adjacent to the structures were considered as the key factors for affording water associated activities.