Contextual integration in waterfront development

2016

The purpose of this paper is to understand if the strength of water is so important like in the past and to see like this element can be the driving force for redevelopment and urban regeneration of a city- port. The waterfront represents those parts of a city develop from the contact with the water until to involve the inner parts, it is a sort of permeable urban surface where the link with water is able to conjugate the different ways to live this special bond. This view permits to look at the waterfront, not only as a simple urban area well defined, but it is a new method to watch the city that draws the inspiration from the water for its future assets, without to forget its identity. Genoa represents an example of Mediterranean city (such as Marseille, Valencia and Barcelona). Our research brings from a debate among the different actors (University, Planning Section of the Municipality, Port Authority) to an elaboration of some future proposals which underline the different mean...

Sociology Study, 2019

Urban waterfronts are recognized as important formation elements of the social and urban identity of the city and as elements of their economic development. They constitute also a significant part of the city's physiognomy. Approaching the port-cities by a historic and urbanistic perspective from the period of their initial development until approximately the end of the 18th century briefly, the reasons why the relationship between city and sea started to weaken are presented. There are records from the beginning of the 19th century that show the gradual severance of the city from its water element, followed by the intensification in the 20th century. The consequences of the Industrial Revolution on one hand and the World Wars on the other constituted the means of recognition for the need to be a simultaneous action not only for the layout of the space but also for its social and human contents, with a goal of improving the human environment (Benevolo, 1990). Under these circumstances, the value of the waterfront was recognized, as far as the urban identity of the city is concerned. Furthermore, waterfronts were identified as an important factor for economic, social, and environmental overhaul of the cities. In this context of recognition, the rebuilding of the relationship between city and sea is attempted through focused interventions in urban waterfronts. In the end, the general goals and the tendencies of the waterfronts' redevelopments are presented. Moreover, the tactics of interventions as well as the effects of the initial transformations on waterfront cities are introduced.

People have redesigned coastlines, creating ports, shaping waterfronts, and building cities to connect water and land. Specialists from many disciplines have explored the function and design of the water-land transition over many centuries. Among them is planning, a discipline that engages both with the functionality of working ports and the design of the waterfront for the urban public. In order to explore the development of working ports and the revitalization of abandoned inner-city waterfronts since the 1960s, this paper reviews planning and planning history literature in regard to the specific appreciation of water. It first examines the planning of ports and its focus on improving the speed, safety, and logistics, assigning water an industrial role. Second, it reflects on the design of post-industrial waterfront spaces, which ascribes a more aesthetic and symbolic as well as leisure-related role to water. Third, it points to the recent reconnection of cruise shipping with inner-city waterfront redevelopment and the coastline in general. In conclusion, the paper underscores localized perceptions of water in planning literature and the need to recognize how interconnected water systems connect otherwise separated areas along the same coastline. It argues for the integrated planning of port, waterfront, and city in conjunction with a comprehensive study of the environmental and ecological role of water in each of those places, both as a resource they share and, with climate change, a risk to which they must collectively respond.

2009

In the contemporary city, the success of the quality of life embodied in public spaces is increasingly accepted as a guarantee factor for an overall success. As such, cities have realized the importance of the role of water for a better quality of life in the city. Many cities around the world are creating ambitious waterfront projects, trying to solve their problems related to water and combining this with improved public spaces. The paper, with the ultimate aim in mind as drawing some recommendations for Istanbul, examines some chosen case cities in Europe, namely Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp, with the aim to search how they establish their urban policies involving water, how they create spaces of interaction with water and contribute to the urban life of citizens and as a result alter the quality of urban life. Each case city, with its waterfront projects is assessed along the following series of quality criteria: Urban space/recreation, Housing, Cultural environment...

Urban Waterfronts: Contemporary Streams of Planning Conflicts, 2019

Since the 1970s, urban waterfronts have undergone profound functional transformations. While in many ways they have been proven successful in reviving prime urban areas, waterfront redevelopments have also been contested. This article reviews several aspects of the planning conflicts that have been pertinent to the redevelopment of waterfronts internationally: (1) land ownership, (2) heritage and culture, (3) social and environmental justice, and (4) environment and resilience. Based on a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art literature, we suggest that the growing concerns over social justice and environmental resilience during the course of waterfront redevelopments will continue to challenge cities in the future. Since the 1970s, urban waterfronts around the world have emerged as a particularly powerful and ubiquitous mode of urban development, "streaming" from one location to the next (Breen et al. 1994; Gordon 1997; Erbil and Erbil 2001; Jones 2017). As the "borders" between water and land and as gateways to cities, waterfronts present unique challenges from a planning perspective. The competition for waterfront space, the need for public access to the shore, the economic vitality of the waterfront, and the conservation of waterfront biodiversity as a natural resource have thus become increasingly prominent issues in urban policy (Sairinen and Kumpulainen 2006). Moreover, waterfront transformation processes involve the negotiation of a complex set of power relations between public and private stakeholders operating at a variety of scales and between different levels and types of government agencies (Dodman 2008; Galland and Hansen 2012; Teschner 2018). The complexity of planning and executing waterfront regen-erations is what makes them an interesting terrain for investigation. This complexity also stands at the heart of this review paper, which examines contemporary conflicts in waterfront redevelopment projects from four angles: land ownership, heritage , social and environmental justice, and environment, ecology and resilience. We believe that scholars and planners can benefit from this interdisciplinary and comprehensive review. First, we should explain what we mean by "waterfront." The terminology of urban waterfronts encompasses a broad range of definitions depending on the landscape and environment, key ones being riverfronts, harbor fronts or ports, coastal zones, and beaches (Cheung and Tang 2015). Al Ansari (2009, 10) observes that while many definitions of the waterfront outline types of water bodies, a more holistic definition would describe the waterfront "as a special border type of urban zone that is both part of the city and in contact with a 'significant' water body" (adapted from Bruttomesso 2001, 46-48). This definition not only refers to the water but also to the interaction between the built and natural landscapes, a combination that is a key element of waterfront redevelopment projects. We accept this definition and accordingly include in this article redevelopment cases of various types of water bodies as well as different types of interactions between the human and built environment. In the following sections, we will focus on planning conflicts in four main areas: (a) land ownership; (b) heritage, identity , and culture; (c) social and environmental justice; and (d) environment, ecology, and resilience. These themes reflect major conflicts, which are essentially conflicts of waterfront use, stemming from the different interests that various stake-holders may have in the waterfront. While we recognize their importance, three main topics remain beyond the scope of this analysis and have been examined elsewhere: tourism (Xie and Gu 2015; Cheung and Tang 2015; Harrill 2004), institutional arrangements and partnerships for the financing and implementation of waterfront regeneration projects (

Tema Journal of Land Use Mobility and Environment, 2010

In the wide and complex panorama of urban transformation, waterfront revitalisation is one of the most interesting phenomena of urban renewal of the last decades, bringing 'cities on water' around the world to a new leadership. After years of oblivion, the presence of the natural element-water-have shown to be of great appeal as an attractive pole for the quality of every day's life. In particular, the visual contact with water together with pedestrian paths along the waterfronts and the implementation of waterborne transports, where possible, are giving an added value to these areas, becoming even more interesting in terms of Real Estate. Now spread out and developed at a global dimensions, involving both, big cities but also medium and smallscale cities at all latitudes and in all continents, waterfront regeneration is in many cases the starting point for the regeneration of the city itself and of its relocation in the international context. Under this point of view, marine, port and fluvial cities can be considered laboratories for the process of urban renewal in terms of residential, transports, public spaces and quality of the environment, in view of both, the broad range of cases and the quality of the results. In light of its 20-year long activity in terms of monitoring and studying best practices in the field of waterfront revitalisation, the Centre Cities on Water carried-out an international overview, developing a comparative analysis of the key element for the success of these operation. To this regards, a selection of case-studies has been identified at international level, according to the main 'ingredients' for a sustainable cohabitation between ports and cities and for a lasting success in waterfront regeneration processes. Water quality, public and free access and to water, public spaces, gradual and flexible development and shared participation in the entire process as well as a mix of functions and uses and the collaboration between public and private entities are some of the key aspects that needs to be taken into account in new interventions. These elements, summarised in the 10 Principles for a Sustainable Development of Urban Waterfront Areas, elaborated years ago by the Centre Cities on Water, together with the German company Wasserstadt (Berlin), can be the hinge for a wide and shared transformation process as well as the key for a positive impact at urban and territorial scale.

42nd ISoCaRP Congress, 2006

WIREs Water, 2016

People have redesigned coastlines, creating ports, shaping waterfronts, and building cities to connect water and land. Specialists from many disciplines have explored the function and design of the water-land transition over many centuries. Among them is planning, a discipline that engages both with the functionality of working ports and the design of the waterfront for the urban public. In order to explore the development of working ports and the revitalization of abandoned inner-city waterfronts since the 1960s, this paper reviews planning and planning history literature in regard to the specific appreciation of water. It first examines the planning of ports and its focus on improving the speed, safety, and logistics, assigning water an industrial role. Second, it reflects on the design of post-industrial waterfront spaces, which ascribes a more aesthetic and symbolic as well as leisure-related role to water. Third, it points to the recent reconnection of cruise shipping with inner-city waterfront redevelopment and the coastline in general. In conclusion, the paper underscores localized perceptions of water in planning literature and the need to recognize how interconnected water systems connect otherwise separated areas along the same coastline. It argues for the integrated planning of port, waterfront, and city in conjunction with a comprehensive study of the environmental and ecological role of water in each of those places, both as a resource they share and, with climate change, a risk to which they must collectively respond.

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

The relationship between human settlements and water has been complex and multidimensional throughout history. However, the urban history of cities is intrinsically related to their interaction with the element of water. The element of water enables spectacles to occur. People gravitate towards the water's edge, socio-cultural life improves, new spaces are discovered, and, in turn, the city is reconciled with the waterfront (natural harbour/river) by invigorating the civic realm via the activation of public space(s). The conference paper focuses on exploring four different international urban master-planning projects (Casablanca in Morocco, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in China, Liverpool in the United Kingdom and Shanghai in China), which utilise the element of water (natural harbour/river) as a means of reinvigorating major district(s) within city centres via the process of reconciliation, and in turn, reinventing the image of the city. The main aim of the research team is to understand the dynamics behind these urban masterplan projects and to highlight the new aspects of the process of reevaluation/re-invention of the city's identity and urban character through reconnecting to the water's edge (natural harbour/river) and regenerating the waterfront. In summary, this paper is an attempt to express the significance of integrating water as a unified natural element and as an essential landscape feature within urban master-planning visions leading to a more sustainable future for our cities globally, as well as to highlight the new urban design aspects of the process of re-evaluation and re-invention of the city's identity and urban character. The main drive of the paper is that emphasising links to the element of water should be considered a key lead urban design factor within the regeneration of cities internationally.

2013

This paper will investigate the contemporary issues in waterfront regeneration strategies. It will aim to evaluate and analyse the legacies from past national waterfront projects through case examples and review policy practices, trends and issues that pertain to waterfront regeneration and the impact of these within tourism and cultural contexts. Specifically the paper has several objectives which will aim to identify the legacies and lessons learnt from waterfront regeneration projects. In this context past policy contexts for waterfront regeneration and the key interests between the broad and diverse stakeholder groups are reviewed. Key roles between that of the public and private sectors in the regeneration process and the often conflicting and controversial issues that result are explored. The paper will also review the historical contexts and nature of waterfront regeneration projects, especially American influences, and the extent to which projects in the US have been transpo...