Local initiatives, such as Greening the Great River Park, have created a powerful constituency of advocates for the Mississippi River valley. Chapter 1:  Environmental Context The potential to create a special identity and sense of place will come, in part, from our ability to recognize and interpret the city's rich natural history, and to celebrate its physical and cultural diversity. Saint Paul developed within a unique river valley and flood plain system. Over time, industrial uses, roads, levees and railroads have significantly altered the environment and masked the natural conections between the city and river. The city needs to be understood as part of a functioning ecosystem. This does not mean that future development should be discouraged or that there should be a wholesale restoration of the natural environment. It means, instead, that efforts should be made to redress the imbalance that now exists between the natural and built environments. Chapter 1 (13 Pages) (The above links are PDFs and will require Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.  Click on the image above to download a free version of the program.)