Sustainable developments of the European port-city interface

Abstract

In the past, areas situated around the geographical boundary of ports and their cities have generally been subject to dereliction, which has often been followed by 'waterfront redevelopment' efforts. In the major seaport-cities of today, the development of the port is still leading redevelopment opportunities. However, in contrast to what has gone before, the areas now in focus have very different characteristics, and give rise to a new redevelopment typology. Based on port-city development literature and empirical observations in Rotterdam and Hamburg, this paper will introduce this new typology, and argue the need for a new interpretation of the contemporary port-city interface to support its sustainable development. This interpretation demands an interdisciplinary approach to the contemporary port-city interface, involving not only its spatial, but also its economic, socio-cultural and environmental features. The approach focuses on the interests of the actors involved in the development of the port-city interface, and (the need for) relationships and coalitions between them in order to reach sustainable development results.