Integrating natural and built environment Kathmandu Waterfront, the broad interface between land and water such as riverbank or lakeside has become the prime real estate of urban (re)development projects. It is a special type of land use and must be fully exploited in planning and design of human settlements. Though Kathmandu Valley has numerous big rivers and small streams, their potential have been hardly understood by decision makers engaged in planning and development agencies. Instead, waterfronts have been under destruction in multiple ways. Metallic roads are being constructed on both sides of the rivers creating a physical and psychological barrier between water body and residential quarters. Other parts of the waterfronts are being illegally occupied by squatter settlements. Still, some parts of small rivers such as Samakhushi and Tukuchey have been covered by concrete slabs to form a new access. Many important ponds of the Valley have been either encroached or destroyed by the government and its agencies: Lainchour by Nepal Scout, Kamal Pokhari by Traffic Police Office and Pulchowk by Metropolitan City Office. This trend has been continuously unabated till now. Such practice must be immediately stopped and waterfronts must be developed by integrating natural and man-made environment through following design guidelines. Water’s edge and public access Define the urban blocks compatible with surrounding existing areas and extend the existing significant streets towards the water’s edge. While doing so, ensure that maximum number of plots and buildings get water’s view. Irregular shaped water edges with formation of inner water bodies is recommended, as it not only increases perimeter of water’s edges but also helps to get human scale and spatial definition in the built form. Also, preserve and enhance the natural edge of water in significant location, wherever possible.Avoid long straight riverbank wall which gives monotonous environment along the waterfront promenades. Instead, develop water’s edge configuration which alters the shape and direction of the waterfront promenade, vary the width of the path and different activities. Public usages of multiple activities Waterfront should be a public asset and must be used for public activities for citizen, visitors and tourists. Provide variety of both passive and active recreational or leisure activities: water based activity such as marina, waterfront walkway etc. and land based activity such as sports and jogging trial. It also requires amenities and facilities for waterfront users: rain and sun protection areas, public toilets, food outlets and souvenir shops including underground parking facilities. Ensure that buildings encircling parks, open spaces and streetscape have ground floor use for eating, entertainment and leisure activities. Use water body as a design element to unify as well as segregate different land use activities without losing any visual aspect. Promote the use of water body in different way such as fountain, canal or pond to focus the landmarks, to direct the pedestrian way or to connect the various activity nodes. Also use water body for fun, recreation and entertainment. Architecture and skyline Promote the zone of transition between existing development area and new sites and unify the design and development in terms of character, massing, and skyline. Conserve the existing landscape and old building structures as a past memory. Identify the features of the existing adjacent settlements and translate them into the present context with new meaning through urban design guidelines. Create and emphasis the buildings or structures at the termination of major view corridors or at important city gateway in terms of scale, colour, shape, style or location. Clustering of taller buildings with sculpturing treatment at roof top can increase visual quality and legibility. Ensure that such structures do not block the significant view, landscape feature or major public open space. Make sure that the buildings directly facing towards water’s edge has low height, which increases gradually towards the inland side so that maximum number of buildings can have water’s views. The author is an architect and urban designer and can be reached at bkshrestha@hotmail.com