Waterfront view of a classical style building with palm trees and boats docked at a wooden pier in a city setting.

Cities, Skylines
& Masterplans

Planning for the water's edge

Masterplans | Floating cities | Waterfront regeneration | Flood resilient urbanism

BACA plans neighbourhoods, waterfronts and whole districts that make room for water. From river parks to floating city modules, our masterplans turn flood risk into an asset for the places people live, work and visit.

We work with cities, developers and communities to create resilient urban frameworks — balancing density, public space, ecology and infrastructure along rivers and coasts.

01Typologies

01 — Masterplans

Masterplans

Districts planned around rivers and floodplains

Our masterplans start with the landscape, the river and the way water moves through a site. Homes, streets, schools and workplaces are arranged so that floodplains become parks, wetlands and green corridors rather than hazards. The result is denser, better-connected neighbourhoods with a clear identity and long-term resilience, designed to be phased and delivered in partnership with councils and developers.

Nijmegen →

02 — Waterfronts

Waterfronts

Regenerating docks, quays and harbours

Former docks, quays and harbours offer some of the most exciting opportunities in our cities. We help bring them back to life with a mix of homes, workplaces, culture and public space, reconnecting people with the waterfront. Heritage is celebrated, edges are made accessible and new defences are woven into promenades and landscapes rather than walls that cut places off.

Royal Docks →

03 — Skylines

Skylines

Landmarks that define the waterfront

Landmark buildings give a place its identity and draw people in. We design towers, visitor attractions and cultural buildings that become memorable reference points on the skyline, while working just as hard at street level to create welcoming entrances, active frontages and generous public spaces. Each landmark is conceived as part of a wider regeneration story rather than an isolated object.

Liverpool Waterfront →

04 — Public Realm

Public
Realm

Parks and streets that store, slow and celebrate water

Parks, streets and squares are where city life happens. We design public spaces that are comfortable, green and full of activity, while quietly managing rainfall through rain gardens, swales, wetlands and spaces that can safely flood. Planting, seating, play and lighting come together to create places people choose to spend time in, all year round.

Paris Masterplan →

01Masterplans 02Waterfronts 03Skylines 04Public realm