Editor’s note: This is the second post in our theme for April 2025, The City Aquatic. For additional entries in the series, see here.
By AN
In cities across the world, rivers once central to daily life now flow unseen beneath layers of concrete and asphalt. These subterranean rivers–natural waterways that have been buried, diverted, or absorbed into sewer systems–were once vital to urban growth, shaping trade, industry, and settlement patterns. Over time, as cities expanded, many of these rivers were deemed obstacles to modernization, leading to their disappearance beneath streets and buildings. However, their presence continues to shape urban environments in unexpected ways, influencing everything from flooding risks to infrastructure planning.
In recent years, efforts to reclaim and daylight these hidden waterways have gained momentum. Projects like Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon Stream, once buried beneath an expressway, have transformed forgotten rivers into thriving public spaces. Meanwhile, in London, the underground River Fleet still leaves its mark, its course subtly influencing street layouts and even causing occasional flooding. These rivers, though invisible to most, remain deeply intertwined with the cities they helped build.
As urban historians, planners, and environmentalists reconsider the role of nature in cityscapes, subterranean rivers offer a compelling glimpse into the past while shaping the future of urban development. This essay will explore their historical significance, the engineering challenges they present, and the growing movement to uncover and reintegrate them into modern cities.
Water has always been at the core of human civilization, influencing the rise and expansion of cities throughout history. Early urban settlements were often established near rivers, which provided essential resources: fresh drinking water, irrigation, transportation routes, and trade opportunities. Vital to everyday life, these rivers were also deeply woven into the identity of the cities they nourished. In some cases, they became central to governance, with cities developing around them both physically and culturally.
In London, the River Fleet was once one of the city’s most important watercourses. Originating in Hampstead, it flowed through neighborhoods like Camden and Clerkenwell before emptying into the Thames near Blackfriars. It was integral to commerce, industry, and daily life. During its heyday, its banks were lined with markets, tanneries, and breweries, all of which relied on the river’s natural flow.
Similarly, in New York, Minetta Creek, though smaller in scale, played a crucial role in shaping early Manhattan. Flowing through what is now Greenwich Village, it marked boundaries between Indigenous lands and colonial settlements, and its waters were vital to the city’s early development. These rivers were not just physical entities but were embedded in the social and cultural fabric of these cities.
However, as cities expanded and industrialized, the once-celebrated rivers began to present more challenges than benefits. The natural waterways that had nurtured early urban growth came to be seen as obstacles to modern expansion by municipal authorities, sanitation reformers, and developers. Concerns over pollution, flooding, and the need for more space prompted these groups to push for the burial or rerouting of many rivers.
London’s aforementioned Fleet River became increasingly polluted by industrial runoff and waste from a growing population. What was once a life-giving force for the city turned into an open sewer, and during the 18th and 19th centuries, city officials and engineers gradually culverted it beneath the streets, diverting its waters into hidden channels as part of broader urban sanitation efforts.
The same fate befell New York’s Minetta Creek. By the mid-19th century, the city’s rapid urbanization necessitated the burial of the creek. As the city’s street grid expanded and buildings rose, the creek was swallowed by growing urban infrastructure. Despite its disappearance from public view, Minetta Creek continues to influence New York’s urban landscape. Beneath the surface, it remains a silent force, affecting groundwater flow and occasionally contributing to flooding in unexpected places.
The process of burying rivers for urban growth wasn’t limited to London and New York. Around the world, as cities transformed from small settlements to sprawling metropolises, many waterways were concealed beneath layers of concrete and brick. This process was not simply an act of neglect, but a response to industrial and urban needs. The rise of modern sanitation systems, designed to improve health and cleanliness, played a major role in this transformation. Rivers that were once central to the functioning of cities were now incorporated into underground sewer systems.
Paris provides a notable example with the Bièvre River. This river once flowed through the heart of the city, powering industries such as tanning and dyeing. However, by the early 20th century, it became so polluted that it was seen as a public health hazard. In response, the Bièvre was diverted into Paris’s expanding underground sewer system, effectively erasing it from the city’s physical map but leaving a legacy in the subterranean infrastructure that still affects urban planning today.
Such rivers, though hidden from view, continue to shape the cities they run beneath. The infrastructure built around them remains a critical part of urban life, influencing water management systems, flood control measures, and even the design of streets and buildings. The transformation of these waterways from visible, vital parts of the city to invisible, underground systems reflects the changing priorities of urbanization. What once was seen as a city’s lifeblood became an inconvenient feature to be buried in the pursuit of modernization. Yet, even in their obscurity, these rivers remain present, continuing to influence the cities they helped build.
As cities grapple with issues of sustainability and urban renewal, there is a growing recognition of the importance of these forgotten waterways. In some cases, efforts to restore and uncover them—such as daylighting projects—have sparked a renewed interest in the role of water in urban identity and resilience. The rivers that once shaped the cities we know today, though buried, continue to provide important lessons in how urban growth and the natural environment are forever intertwined.
Though many subterranean rivers have disappeared from public view, they continue to shape cities in ways that urban planners and engineers must constantly navigate. Buried but not gone, these hidden waterways present challenges ranging from unexpected flooding to complex infrastructure demands. Over the years, cities have devised innovative engineering solutions to manage these lingering forces beneath their streets.
One of the most persistent challenges associated with subterranean rivers is urban flooding. Many of these rivers, though channeled underground, still follow their natural courses. When heavy rains overwhelm drainage systems, water finds its way back to the surface, flooding streets, homes, and transportation networks.
Tokyo, a city that has long struggled with such issues, responded with one of the most ambitious flood control projects in the world. Constructed between 1993 and 2006, the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel, also known as Tokyo’s Underground Flood Tunnels, was built to redirect floodwaters and prevent disasters. This vast system of tunnels and reservoirs manages the runoff from underground rivers and excessive rainfall, protecting Tokyo’s urban core from catastrophic flooding.
Beyond flooding, subterranean rivers have played an essential role in shaping modern sewer and drainage systems. As cities industrialized, many of these waterways were repurposed for sanitation, helping to transport waste away from populated areas. However, this engineering approach sometimes required radical interventions.
One of the most striking examples is the Chicago River reversal project. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Chicago River became heavily polluted due to rapid urban growth and industrial waste. To prevent contamination of Lake Michigan—the city’s primary source of drinking water—engineers devised an extraordinary solution: they reversed the river’s natural flow. Through a series of canal constructions and locks, water was redirected away from the lake and into the Mississippi River basin.
While this engineering feat helped mitigate pollution risks and served as a model for large-scale urban water management, it was also highly controversial. The project sent Chicago’s waste downstream, causing environmental and public health concerns for communities along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Additionally, in recent years, the altered water system has contributed to new challenges for Chicago. Rising water levels in Lake Michigan, intensified by climate change, have increased the risk of backflow into the city, straining existing flood control measures and underscoring the long-term consequences of reshaping natural waterways.
Even when rivers are hidden beneath layers of concrete and asphalt, their presence still influences city planning and development. Architects and engineers must consider subterranean waterways when designing new buildings, metro systems, and flood prevention measures.
In Montreal, the buried Rivière Saint-Pierre continues to shape the city’s infrastructure. Once a prominent surface river, it was gradually culverted between the 19th and early 20th centuries and integrated into the city’s underground sewer system. However, its course still affects the way construction projects are planned. Developers working in areas above the old riverbed must account for soil stability, groundwater movement, and potential flooding risks. Some sections of the city still experience drainage issues linked to the ghostly presence of this long-buried river.
As cities expand and climate change intensifies rainfall patterns, the challenges posed by subterranean rivers are becoming even more pronounced. The struggle between urbanization and nature is ongoing, and engineers continue to devise new strategies to work with, rather than against, these hidden waterways. From flood tunnels to adaptive city planning, the story of subterranean rivers is not just one of disappearance—it is a testament to human ingenuity and the ever-evolving relationship between water and the built environment.
For centuries, cities buried their rivers in the name of progress, but in recent decades, a growing movement has sought to reverse this trend. Daylighting, the process of uncovering and restoring buried rivers, has gained traction as urban planners and environmentalists recognize the ecological, social, and economic benefits of reviving these hidden waterways. Once considered nuisances to be paved over, subterranean rivers are now being rediscovered as valuable assets that can enhance urban resilience, improve biodiversity, and create vibrant public spaces.
One of the most celebrated examples of daylighting is Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon Stream. Originally a natural waterway running through the city, the Cheonggyecheon was gradually covered over as Seoul industrialized, eventually disappearing beneath an elevated highway. By the late 20th century, the area had become overcrowded, polluted, and disconnected from the city’s natural landscape. In the early 2000s, an ambitious urban renewal project aimed to transform this neglected space. Engineers removed the highway, restored the stream, and developed a sprawling public park along its banks. The project not only improved air quality and reduced urban heat but also revitalized the surrounding neighborhoods, attracting businesses and increasing property values. Today, Cheonggyecheon is a model for other cities looking to reintegrate water into their urban fabric.
Beyond urban renewal, daylighting also provides significant environmental and climate benefits. By restoring natural waterways, cities can enhance flood resilience, improve water quality, and reintroduce habitats for local wildlife. Additionally, open rivers help regulate urban temperatures by reducing the heat island effect, improve air quality, and support natural cooling through evaporation. They also promote public engagement with nature, transforming once-neglected urban spaces into thriving community hubs.
While uncovering buried rivers is not always feasible due to existing infrastructure, projects like Cheonggyecheon demonstrate how cities can creatively reconnect with their lost waterways. Whether through full restoration or symbolic design elements that trace historic river paths, daylighting initiatives remind us that even the most urbanized landscapes are shaped by the waters that once defined them.
Though buried beneath layers of concrete and asphalt, subterranean rivers continue to shape the cultural and psychological landscapes of cities. These hidden waterways persist not only in physical infrastructure but also in folklore, literature, and collective memory, influencing how urban dwellers connect with their environment.
Returning to the English capital, the Fleet River has long been the subject of myth and mystery. Once a prominent waterway, it became heavily polluted during the Industrial Revolution and was eventually culverted beneath the streets. Over time, stories of the buried river took on an almost mythical quality—tales of hidden tunnels, strange echoes beneath Fleet Street, and rumors of underground currents that still flow unseen. This lingering presence in local lore reflects a broader fascination with what lies beneath the city’s surface.
Literature and art have also played a crucial role in keeping the memory of lost rivers alive. Though diverted underground decades earlier, Paris’s Bièvre River continues to inspire poets and historians. Writers such as Joris-Karl Huysmans described its fading presence, while contemporary urban historians trace its path through archival maps and forgotten texts. Even as the river disappeared from view, its cultural imprint endured in the artistic imagination.
Beyond myth and literature, the rediscovery of subterranean rivers has become a powerful symbol of urban identity. Efforts to acknowledge these buried waterways—whether through daylighting projects or commemorative urban designs—represent a deeper desire to reconnect modern cities with their past. In some places, this has taken the form of public installations marking the historical course of a river, while in others, urban planners have sought to integrate references to hidden rivers into contemporary cityscapes.
Psychologically, the act of reclaiming these waterways speaks to a broader movement toward environmental and historical consciousness. It reflects a shift from viewing urban rivers as obstacles to progress toward recognizing them as integral to a city’s character. Whether through folklore, art, or physical restoration, the presence of these forgotten currents continues to shape the urban experience, reminding us that beneath every modern metropolis flows a hidden history waiting to be uncovered.
Even as they remain buried beneath modern infrastructure, subterranean rivers continue to shape the cities built above them. Their hidden currents affect water tables, influence flood risks, and, in some cases, determine the stability of urban foundations. As cities grapple with climate change, increasing urbanization, and the need for sustainable development, the future of these forgotten waterways is being reconsidered—not just as remnants of the past, but as key players in the evolving urban landscape.
One of the most promising directions is the rise of daylighting projects. These initiatives, such as the earlier example of Cheonggyecheon Stream, have demonstrated how uncovering lost waterways can revitalize public spaces, improve local ecosystems, and enhance flood management. With growing awareness of the environmental benefits of natural waterways, more cities are beginning to explore the feasibility of similar projects. However, not all buried rivers can or should be resurfaced—many have been too deeply integrated into drainage or sewage systems, making full restoration impractical.
Even where daylighting is not an option, urban planners and environmentalists are increasingly recognizing the need to work with, rather than against, subterranean rivers. Advanced water-sensitive urban design strategies now consider the presence of hidden waterways in flood prevention planning, groundwater management, and sustainable infrastructure projects. Understanding the historic courses of these rivers allows cities to anticipate potential flooding issues, prevent sinkholes caused by subsurface erosion, and design stormwater systems that align with natural water flow.
Beyond the physical landscape, acknowledging these hidden rivers also fosters a deeper cultural and psychological connection between cities and nature. Marking their historical paths in urban design—through plaques, art installations, or architectural elements—ensures that these rivers are not forgotten, even if they remain buried. This shift in perspective represents a broader movement toward more integrated and ecologically conscious urban planning, where history, nature, and development coexist rather than compete. As cities continue to grow, the future of subterranean rivers will likely be defined by a balance between preservation, adaptation, and innovation. Whether through partial restoration, improved water management, or symbolic recognition, these hidden currents will remain an essential part of urban life—shaping the cities
AN is a freelance writer passionate about storytelling in all its forms. As a growing writer, she’s building a diverse portfolio, with some of her work currently in the editing process. Rather than limiting herself to a single niche, she enjoys exploring a wide range of topics, pushing creative boundaries, and experimenting with different styles of narrative. Writing is her way of connecting with the world—whether through in-depth analysis, cultural essays, or human interest stories.
Featured image (at top): Cheonggyecheon Stream river walk in Seoul, South Korea, 2015.
