Árasztó Riverside in Budapest, an accessible and floodable riverbank along the Danube by NOVU Design & Engineering and VALYO – City & River

Árasztó Riverside in Albertfalva is now in its fifth season as a low-budget, high-impact placemaking project on the Danube. Each year, small interventions turn the floodable riverbank into a relaxed leisure park.

This season, other than six new picnic tables, extending its use from everyday hanging out to birthday barbecues – supported by Valyo’s public grill and a refreshed version of Budapest’s first public compost toilet – the area gained two new fixed staircases which endure the flooding and will stay all year long, as well as new seating benches made of recycled beer boxes. Thanks to VALYO’s work, just 25 minutes by bike from the city center, visitors find sun loungers, picnic tables, bike racks, barbecue and fire pits, a sandy volleyball court, and lush oleanders, many of which can be used even in winter. We wanted to make sure all these cool spots were easily and safely accessible for all. The Árasztó project is mainly financially supported by the Municipality of Újbuda; however, these interventions were on NOVU’s budget as a CSR intervention.