Analysis Of The Article Navigability And Improvement Of...

In the article, â€Å"Navigability and Improvement of the River Thames, 1605-1805, published in the Geographical Journal in June 2010, Stuart Oliver analyzed the bureaucratic system established to make improvement to re-engineer and enhance the flow of navigation on the Thames. The Thames has been an integral part of England and has been one of the most important trade and transport routes since ancient times. It is the longest river in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom, running approximately 215 miles long. Throughout history the river has been used to carry all kinds of goods for sale to the city. Riverboats, barges, and small boats ferried people from one location to another. These activities created massive congestion on†¦show more content†¦The river was engineered for the economic benefits of London’s bureaucrats and â€Å"the engineering structures that it entailed subjected the river to disciplinary control, and allowed the more efficient flow of the river, (and the goods it carried) reworking it in accordance with the priorities of a hidden geography of value.† The economic value of the Thames was enormous and the commercial activities it generated were threatened by the ongoing problem of congestion. The geographic location of the Thames was significant during this period when London was growing fast. The river was a source of wealth for the bureaucrats who controlled its administration, the industrialists ¸ and capitalists who relieved on the river to bring their goods to consumers. Maintaining order on the Thames had been a priority for the English dating as far back as the Magna Carta. In the twelfth century, the English authorities established the Corporation of London to administer the use of the Thames waterways and navigation. The London authorities codified a series of legislation acts to regulate the use of the water and improve the river. Oliver argued that the improvements on the Thames made it more navigable and provided economic opportunities for the City of London and the people living along the river route. Oliver’s strongest argument was that the