Interactive Reading

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In many cities, planners are removing pavement to expose rivers that were buried decades ago. During the twentieth century, urban streams were often covered over and turned into hidden drains to make room for roads and buildings. Today, engineers recognize that open waterways help cool overheated neighborhoods, reduce flooding by giving rainwater somewhere to go, and provide habitat for fish and birds. One well-known project in South Korea tore out an elevated highway to bring back a stream beneath it. The restored river quickly became a popular public space, and nearby temperatures dropped noticeably during hot summers.