本文首先初步比較了大臺北地區在各個歷史發展時期人與淡水河的互動關係。在農業時期人對河川的干涉是輕微的，因水之勢而發展的埤圳系統是用水的核心，順地勢而建的土堤、明渠則為治水的主要手段。在工業化時期淡水河水利建設的目的是支持臺北地區的都市與工業發展，側重於防洪排水的治水功能的發揮，高堤圍繞著河岸，河川被棄而不用，造成人與水的背離。在後工業化時期淡水河的多元功能再被喚起，在不影響河川的防洪排水功能下，親水機能、遊憩機能、生態棲息機能、通道機能等都被納入到河川的經營規畫中。 本文藉著對淡水河沿岸各里的訪問調查，檢討了現階段淡水河系兩岸地的利用現況及缺失所在，並指出為了發揮淡水河系的多元機能目標，應避免「功能主義」的規畫與經營方式，應倡導民主參與，多尊重及瞭解地方的需求；為使規畫與實際需求能相互契合，筆者認為河岸地的經營，應該是以「地域」為架構的科際整合的工作，故地理專業者應該可以被吸收到這方面的規畫經理工作上。

　　　　　In the beginning of this study there is an initiative comparison among various periods of historical development of mutual relation between man and Tan Shui River. In the agricultural period, there was only a slight interference in river affair: the ponds and ditches system developed for water usage purpose; embankments built up along some riversides for flood control and the open-channel for the drainage in urban area. In the industrial period, the main purpose of hydraulic engineering construction of Tan Shui river was to support the metropolitan and industrial development of Taipei area, the importance was to support the metropolitan and industrial development of Taipei area, the importance was laid upon the functional effect of flood control and drainage, high levee set up along river bank, river being abandoned and not utilized created apartness between man and water, In the post-industrial period, multi functional elements of Tan Shui river has been raised again, with no effect to the function of flood control and drainage of river, the water-accessibility mechanism, recreation mechanism, ecological habitat mechanism and pedestrian mechanism have been adopted in the management planning. By means of visiting and investigating, we have reviewed and discussed the present status of utilization of coastal area of Tan Shui River as well as the point of shortage, and have pointed that in order to effect the multi-mechanical purposes of the Tan Shui River, the tyranny public based on economic or instrumental rationality should be avoided, and that the participatory democracy public policy based on pluralist or substantive rationality should be promoted. The writer also proposed that the management of coastal area of river should be a work of geographical interconnection and functional interdependence based on the local place, so the professional geographer should be involved in the work of planning and management.