The degradation of urban rivers and creeks in large cities has stimulated the proposition of different public policies. This article analyzes public policies targeted at the environmental recovery of urban creeks as a new paradigm in the governance of water resources. The text approaches the urbanization pattern of the city of São Paulo, which has produced the degradation of its water resources, and the reach of public policies that aim at their recovery. In a context of contaminated creeks, floodplains occupied by squatter settlements, and lack of collection and treatment of sewage, policies for the environmental recovery of the water network can transform these creeks into important providers of ecosystemic services. Policies of recovery of urban rivers and creeks have a recognized innovative potential and can contribute to build a more sustainable city.
municipality of São Paulo; water governance; environmental degradation; recovery of water resources; linear parks