Waterfront areas inspire trails, greenbelts, and parks and can represent great economic and experiential value to adjacent areas. In the last four decades, cities have experienced changes in the use of their waterfront areas which have rapidly developed into the most vital areas in cites. This research explores the theoretical foundation of the public open space development and ecological corridor design for urban waterfronts. From the literature review of urban parks, urban plazas, urban waterfronts, and ecological corridors 34 design and ecological principles and guidelines were developed. Five case studies were chosen that represented the continuum from total built form to total natural settings. The evaluation of the case studies highlighted the most prevalent principles and guidelines that direct location, program requirements, design, and materials. To test their applicability, a design was created for Qingshan Lake waterfront, Huangshi City, China. The final solution was reviewed and the principles and guidelines were evaluated.