{IACP} International Association Cities and Ports - CityPorts Rotterdam connects city and port

Author: VAN ASCH Cor, BOOMSLUITER Perry
Original title: CityPorts Rotterdam connects city and port
On sale date: Monday, 05 July 2004
Type of document: Proceeding
Type of activity: International Meetings
Event: 9th International Conference Cities and Ports - Lisbon 2004
Topic: 5.01 - city / port planning project
Location: Europe : Netherlands : Rotterdam
Language: English, French, Spanish

Rotterdam’s so-called CityPorts, which consist of the Waal/Eemhaven area and the Merwehaven/Vierhavens area, will partially get a new function in the coming decades. As a result of the increase in scale of the port economy and its growing dynamics, some of the port activities that are currently taking place in the CityPorts will in the future be moved in a westerly direction. This means that space will become available in the CityPorts: not just for port functions, but also for urban functions such as living, working and various facilities. This space can for example be made available by means of company relocations within the framework of autonomous move to the west, land reclamation schemes of other forms of site development or by making more intensive use of existing sites. The CityPort area is generally considered the largest inner-city restructuring location within the Rotterdam region.

On the first of January 2004, the Development Company CityPorts Rotterdam plc (Stadshavens Rotterdam in short) is established. This private limited company is owned by the municipality and the Port of Rotterdam. Within the organisation, the expertise of the Port of Rotterdam and various municipal services, especially the Rotterdam City Development Corporation (Ontwikkelingsbedrijf Rotterdam, OBR) and the department for Urban Planning, Housing and Traffic (dienst Stedenbouw en Volkshuisvesting, dS+V) has been combined. The decision for a separate private limited company is a result of the size of and the dynamics in the area and the commitment of both the municipality and the Port of Rotterdam. Stadshavens Rotterdam consists of a small organisation of about 10 people and makes optimum use of the expertise that is already present both within the municipality and beyond. Stadshavens is currently established in the World Port Centre. Soon, it will move to the former RDM office, which is located in the heart of the CityPorts area.

In consideration of the substantial size of the CityPorts area and the important role it plays in Rotterdam’s economy and employment, a controlled transformation is necessary. The strategy therefore focuses on a development in two phases. The first 10-15 years, the emphasis will be on strengthening the economic clusters in the southern Waalhaven and Eemhaven. For the southern Waalhaven, a land reclamation scheme spanning some 50 ha directly adjacent to industrial park Waalhaven-Zuid and the connected adjustment of the possible infrastructure is being considered. In the second 10-15-year period, the emphasis will be on the development of the river locations and a ‘crowd puller’. This strategy with two planning speeds allow for the transformation process to be organised in two parallel phases. The first phase has a strong emphasis on execution and is aimed at initiatives and opportunities in the market. For the time being, the second phase is aimed at developing a vision and then, when necessary, facilitating the relocation of companies. The process of vision development is predominantly geared tot acquiring and sharing knowledge and experiences. Among other things, interviews, debates and (national/international) conferences play an important role here.

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