Thursday, 9 november

Field inspections : Port Botany and Walsh Bay
Thursday, 9 november 2006 by IACP team

Port Botany

Walsh Bay

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Synthesis and conclusions
Thursday, 9 november 2006 by IACP team

Synthesis by Ibon Areso

During these 4 days of fruitful work and exchanges filled with experiences

• 43 papers were delivered
• 2 study days in Melbourne and Newcastle were organised
• Visits to sites in Sydney were organised

Territories of the cities, territories of the ports, what joint future ?

• Has this question been answered ?
• Asking the question is also posing the question of the Sustainable Development of Port Cities
• Reminder of the 3 great principles of Sustainable Development : the Economic, the Social, and the Environmental.
• What lessons may be drawn from this 10th IACP Conference compared with these 3 great principles ?

THE ECONOMY

It must be remembered that port cities are also major players in globalisation. This global dimension was underlined by numerous speakers.
There are new opportunities for development of port cities connected to the evolution of geopolitics. This was seen through the Chinese port cities of Shanghai or of Ningbo, the ports of Romania, and King Abdullah City in Saudi-Arabia.

To respond to this international demand, it is imperative to better organise the city – port territory.
Numerous examples were given of the complete relocation of port functions so as better to meet the challenges of globalisation. The active port is leaving the urban centre and freeing spaces for new urban functions. This is notably the case for Corunna, Santos, Darwin, Santa Fe.
This in-depth reorganisation of the city – port territory poses new questions.
They must be answered :

• How can the necessary connecting infrastructures between the new ports and logistics and industrial zones be ensured (eg: the Chinese port cities) ?
• How can all levels of public decision making be efficiently associated (eg: Avellanada).
• The various levels of local government : City-Region-State should be associated in the same approach.

For Durban, this overall reflection between all the stakeholders should also enable that which is non negotiable to be to clearly identified.

• Numerous examples of partial reorganisation of the city port territory were also given (eg: Sydney, Vancouver, Auckland,…)

In this case, the most difficult port functions to integrate with the city are leaving the old ports, the case for example of bulk cargo and container terminals

• For certain port functions the question of a possible integration with the city is posed : how and under what conditions can certain functions of the port be kept in the city ?

This question was transversal and central in the presentations and discussions of the conference.

• Is the port still legitimate in the city ??

YES, but under certain conditions.

The port must also know how to get accepted and to play the card of its utility at the service of the community. The port of Paris is a good illustration of this (transport of heavy materials, household refuse, etc.)

• Work on the search for the blending of city and port must also bear on the search for better compatibility in the use of stretches of water (Melbourne). "Water" must be integrated in the planning work. But work must also be done on setting up and developing buffer zones (eg: Fremantle).

THE SOCIAL

• This is without doubt a major advance stemming from the Sydney Conference.

Very numerous papers put to the fore the necessity for port authorities to re-create a strong link with the citizens.

• By civic actions in the development such as those carried out by the Mexican ports;
• By actions in favour of the environment;
• By a strong implication in professional training and the new trade-crafts following the example of the port of Brussels.

As far as possible, the port must be given back to the citizens

• This obviously poses the question of security which is a stronger and stronger constraint from this point of view : how can international standards of security be respected whilst opening the port to the citizens ?

IMAGINATION MUST BE DISPLAYED !

The field of experimentation is vast :

• Port Discovery Day ;
• Observation posts of port activities;
• Pedagogical packs, and work with the schools.

City- port communication is essential.

The proposal of Port of Le Havre to further implicate ports in equitable trading should be noted. Both in order to create a social link with the city but also to provide another dimension to port activities.

On the interface spaces, the idea of city – port "time-sharing" should be noted. The quaysides serving port activities being able to be opened for urban usage over set time periods : eg: Port of Paris.

The port is not a public space but it can be subjected to structural arrangements for the use of the public. Numerous efforts have still to be made in this direction...

ON THE THEME OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Very clear progress has been noted since the founding of IACP in 1988 !
Environmental preoccupations have today been integrated in the issues of port development.
This is true for the port authorities : numerous examples were given, such as the setting up of a programme for the improvement of the quality of the air for the Bay of San Pedro in Los Angeles, or again the taking into account of the ecological reserves in the masterplan of Richards Bay. But this is also true of the economic partners of the port (example of the "green warehouses" of Gazely.)

The environmental question also enables social links to be recreated. It is a very important vector of communication with the city.
The ports also wish to assume their responsibilities in environmental matters. This is an essential advance in the city – port relationship. Here as well, the importance of environmental constraints compels port cities to innovate:

• In a better dialogue between city and port;
• In a more rational organisation of spaces;
• In creating a social link.

IN CONCLUSION

Yes in the context of the reorganisation of their territory, cities and ports do have a joint future !

The search for sustainable development also provides the occasion to recreate the social link and to manage more efficiently a common living space.
This search for efficiency is also accompanied by better economic performances.
This search for economic development and port productivity can also be a response to the additional costs of environmental or social measures which, in any case, can no longer be avoided !

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Wednesday, 8 november

Technical tour 1 : Melbourne
Wednesday, 8 november 2006 by IACP team

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Technical tour 2 : Newcastle
Wednesday, 8 november 2006 by IACP team

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Tuesday, 7 november

Session 7 : Ensuring urban and port mobility
Tuesday, 7 november 2006 by IACP team

Mobility is a central theme for every port city. To determine the challenges in a given territory and time-scale, it is necessary to define a clear strategy. The 4 examples of this session have clearly illustrated this necessity.

The extraordinarily booming conditions in the port region of Shanghai are profoundly modifying the traditional agricultural territorial organisation at a fast rhythm. It is naturally necessary to take advantage of this opportunity but also to anticipate on developments to come. Regional development must be envisaged in a sustainable manner and development plans should not only respond to the needs of the moment. Are urban planners always given the time to think in terms of sustainable development?

Anticipation is also the key to the development of the Danube. The integration of Romania in the European Union on the 1st January 2007 is setting the deadlines. The development of the waterway is an essential stake for the Romanian national economy. It also provides the opportunity to experiment new forms of public-private partnerships. In this set-up, the Danube Delta has a special place. This area is already asserting itself as a major tourist destination on a European level. The development of cruise ports should enable a rapid response to this tourist vocation.
Anticipation again, for the Port of Paris, the future of one of the top European inland waterway ports in a dense urban environment weighed down with history, is another challenge. Far from retreating in the face of the appetites of real estate promoters, the port is today asserting their mission as an instrument for sustainable development for the metropolitan area. Transport of heavy bulk cargos, transport of refuse and wastes made invisible by their carriage in containers, soon the transport of bio-fuels, are as many examples of the renewal of the waterway as an alternative to road transport. In a dense urban environment, this role is irreplaceable. This does in no way exclude the approaches of the port towards integration if only to melt into the urban environment. Architects and designers have been called in to get the port installations and functions accepted by the urban population. Pollution is being controlled.

Batter still, the principle of "time sharing" enables the industrial quaysides to be rendered to the population during the weekends. The re-discovery of the waterside, in all liberty, is a challenge to be beaten in every port city. Watch out therefore for international regulations that will impose a too strictly controlled access to the waterfronts or even render it impossible. Our port cities have a lot to lose in this!

Doubtless this is what the port city of Darwin thinks, being closer to Singapore than to Sydney, and which is taking advantage of the arrival of the Trans-Australia rail-road to totally reorganise their city-port territory. Here again, anticipation remains the keyword. New industrial ports and recuperation of the Waterfront, new mixed and shared utilisations of the coastline, cruises and tourist developments. These numerous parameters have to be integrated today in order to create the successful port city of tomorrow.

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Session 8 : Guaranteeing flows between city and port
Tuesday, 7 november 2006 by IACP team

The dramatic events of the start of the 21st century were the source of the implementation of a new commercial environment in the ports taking into account the challenges of security and safety. The ISPS Code has been adopted and today, as Bert Kruk form the World Bank reminded us, nearly all the port container terminals have now been declared in conformity. More interesting for our port cities, the most recent studies show that this reinforcement in security has, on average, only cost a few dollars per container and that it has resulted in increased commercial efficiency and thus more economic spin-offs for the community.

It appears therefore more and more important for each port city to provide itself with Port Community Systems implicating all the stakeholders. And this, at any port in the world.

Jacques Ritt, President of Soget (France) goes even further foreseeing that the port cities that will not be able to provide themselves with such data exchange systems will gradually put themselves outside global trade exchanges. It must be borne in mind that one day's inactivity in a major port, for example due to the explosion of a container, costs the port city community between 700 and 900 million Euros. He therefore advocates the adoption of even more efficient data transmission systems that will provide security over the whole logistics chain, that is to say, from the producer or manufacturer of the goods to their final distributors: the Cargo Community System. Only such a system will indeed enable all the commercial and regulatory information to be transmitted right from the shipment of the goods from the point of manufacture to the Customs authorities of the country of final destination, the only people competent to target and demand the inspection of this or that shipment prior to its being loaded.

Testifying to these new challenges, vital for the economy of port cities, Danielle Wong, President of the Users' Council of the port of Mauritius, told of the efforts of all the players in the logistics chain to make this country one of the safest countries in the world for trade exchanges thanks to the setting up of a system of licensing of the logistics players : Licensed Economic Operator. The expected benefits are large : a drop in Customs inspections, reductions of duties and taxes, simplified commercial procedures… so many advantages for a reinforced commercial efficiency.

To conclude, Olivier Joly (University of Le Havre, France) underlined the great importance of research in this still little known field of security. Without any doubt, new innovations remain to be imagined for a port security going beyond the boundaries of the port and covering the whole logistics chain, the true economic interface between the city and the port.

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Session 9 : Integrating Environmental questions
Tuesday, 7 november 2006 by IACP team

Tina Paillet, Development Manager of Gazeley France, illustrated the possibility to conceal competitiveness and economic needs with environmental concerns. In order to change the poor reputation owned by the logistic sector, Gazeley is investing money on its own for going green. The concept of green logistic developments, initiated more than 15 years and called Magna Park, is based on the following concerns: environmental approach and landscape, location and multimodality and eco-building. Considering the ever increasing number of goods transported, the need for flexibility and for space and finally the necessity to assure an environment friendly image, logistic operators are more and more interested in Magna Parks.

The presentation of M. Leon Goussard focused on the constraints and challenges of the future port city developments of Richards Bay. The port will take over the container traffic from Durban driving out of capacity in 2029. Therefore, future developments and expansions have to be analysed and planned. For doing so, the port masterplan had to consider the Strategic Environmental Assessment and the Environmental Services Management Plan realised by the municipality. By scarifying part of the planned port developments close to the estuary the port demonstrates its commitment to the environment, but also ensures its possibility to develop in other port city areas. Compromise and dialogue are again the keywords of this presentation.

The dialogue is also an important issue for the Port of Los Angeles (represented by Marcel Van Dijk) who mentioned that since the Clean Port Summit in March 2006 the reducing of polluting air emission will be stipulated in a joint program with the Port of Long Beach (San Pedro Bay). Several implementation strategies influencing the lease requirements or concerning incentive tariff changes or other mitigations procedures will allow together with innovative technical solutions to reduce the polluting air emissions in the Bay of San Pedro.

Financing and costs are of course major issues for responding to the question of integrating Environmental concerns. Dom Figliomeni from the Port of Kembla (Australia) underlined that it is not possible for the port to assume all the costs related to sustainability, but long-term planning and studies such as those realized by Port Kembla on the beneficial reuse of dredging material for building new wharves in the inner or outer harbour, considerably contribute to a sustainable development of the port activities.

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Session 10 : Integrating Environmental questions
Tuesday, 7 november 2006 by IACP team

In Rotterdam, due to increasing environmental requirements, City and Port had split up. Since 2004, the Port has been a publicly owned limited company. Within the “Port 2020 Vision”, 6 port profiles have been defined for a sustainable and competitive port in 2020. For every profile it appears that a close relationship between port and city is definitely vital for the international competitiveness of the port. A sustainable city-port relationship is also the core of the policy on corporate social responsibility announced within the Business Plan 2006-2010. The complexity of regulations, the scarcity of spaces, the competitive environment, and the necessity of offering an attractive image, are requesting proactive policy and innovative solutions on sustainable matters. These ones will be addressed within a programme based on three tracks and challenges: a sustainable economic renewal of port and city; Rotterdam as Green Quality Port; the human factor and the education as a tool for sustainable port-city relationship.

Port location and the complex city-port integration are still on the map for the port cities all over the world. But new developments such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals may also announced different territorial structuration and new territorial logics. Due to the estimated increasing demand for alternative energies, many LNG terminal projects are announced. But the acceptability and the perceptions of the risks linked to such facilities are totally different from population to developers, public authorities, private stakeholders. In Canada, none of the 7 projects which are planned will be implemented neither within an urban or industrial area nor within a major port. Furthermore it seems that rural location, which could be described as isolated areas will be chosen. The “remote siting” strategy, i.e. offshore terminals option, which is currently being studied in the US is another example. Debates that followed the session have pointed out that communication is the key element for acceptability. Projects closed to urban areas are still possible, as it will be done at Rotterdam. But it implies a long and patient communication strategy towards the inhabitants.

Acceptability is an evident problem for installations such as petrochemical complex. In Avellaneda, South to Buenos Aires, the 300 ha site of the “Polo petroquimico Dock-Sud” has been a serious concern since many years: huge degradation of soil, air, and water quality, direct impacts on the inhabitants' health and in particular for the 800 families living on the port area. Even it is still difficult, a common policy has been implemented between the State, the Province and the City and an agreement has been achieved on 2003. A Commission was created in 2004 and a working programme has been launched with the setting up of an environmental diagnostic as main objective. As a result, measures have been decided, the ones which will be implemented from 2006 to 2008. 5 Companies currently settled on this site will be relocated, and the inhabitants will be relocated too. The other 4 Companies will be able to stay provided that they reduce their negative impacts too.

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Session 11 : The reinforcement of social coherence
Tuesday, 7 november 2006 by IACP team

During this last session of the day, presentations focused on the topic of the reinforcement of social coherence and the importance of the harbour place in supporting the development of the community.

Authority bodies are heading towards a better understanding of the local port city situation and the needs of the citizen. Jeffrey Gilmore of the Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority in Hobart (Australia) presented the different tools and methods for improving communication and consultation with the users and inhabitants of the waterfront. Future planning processes of the port city interfaces are discussed during public forums and movies or invited lecturer gives a new and modern vision of the waterfront potentialities.

Without no doubt the condition of success for a well accepted port city project by the population depends on the necessity to put forward a change without mishandling the local or regional cultural heritage. Mr Günter Warsewa from Bremen underlined the importance of becoming it right by using the sensible way: instruments for monitoring and consulting and presentation of a guiding vision of a clear direction.

Conditions of success are also dependant on social inclusion which needs to be based on education, qualification, cooperation and networking. On this subject, Ms Geneviève Origer explains the important measures implemented by the port of Brussels on the valorisation of the work related to the logistic sector. There is a real need for specialized workers in the field of port, maritime and inland transport logistics. Particularly for the region of Brussels this sector can represent a great possibility to reduce unemployment and to valorise the port activities in general. The Port of Brussels, economic actors and urban authorities, elaborated a mutual program in order to implement special employment agencies and to facilitate the financial support of qualifications and specialised learning.

Social coherence can also be expressed through the valorisation of an innovative and small scale project such as the creation of a fair trade platform at the port city interface in Le Havre. Mr. Jean Pierre Lecomte, president of the Port of Le Havre, explained to us the possibility to create new jobs and to develop new added value by the organization of an international network of ports engaged in the development of fair trade: Fair ports network! At this occasion he invited the different delegates and port representatives presented in Sydney to join the idea of a future network of fair trade ports exploring together the possibility of a contribution to globalisation by using sustainable policies.

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Monday, 6 november

Opening ceremony
Monday, 6 november 2006 by IACP team

All the delegates did appreciate the indigenous show and the warm and friendly welcome performance organised by our host.

Chris Oxenbould, Chief executive of the Maritime Authority of New South Wales (Australia), thanked all the delegates from all over the world for attending the Conference. He underlines that for Sydney, one of the greatest natural port in the world, sustainability is a main concern. The successful sharing of the urban and the port territories is currently the core of the debates about future development of the port city of Sydney. In this way, the timing of the Conference could not be better.

Antoine Rufenacht, Mayor of Le Havre (France) and Founder-President of IACP, stressed the fact that still some years ago the most current words used when speaking about city/port relationship were “barriers, borders”, and “conquest or re-conquest”. More than 10 years after the creation of the International Association Cities and Ports, and its expansion as an international network, the approach has become totally different and the main challenges we have to face up are the ones of “complementarities and successful mixing of port and urban territories and activities”.

Finally, Joe Tripodi MP, the Minister for Energy, Minister for Ports and Waterways, and Minister Assisting the Treasure on Business and Economic Reform (NSW Government, Australia), call to mind the evident value of the existence of ports for an Island like Australia. The State of New South Wales has one of the greatest impact on the Australian Economy. Trade is continually increasing, as for example the container traffic with its 7% per year increase. New South Wales continues to benefit from it and already planned further developments to face up to this challenge.

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Session 1 : A common territory to reorganize or to imagine
Monday, 6 november 2006 by IACP team

The 3 speakers of the plenary session 1 pointed out, even in different ways, the same necessity to reorganise the port territory in a more socially oriented way. As stressed by John McLaughlin, director of planning and Development of the Port of Vancouver, the port needs to be “here today and here tomorrow”. The rationalisation of port spaces has an impact on the port activities choices and the way of thinking integration and future developments: “How the port can adapt its way of operating in order to continue to be developed near or within the city”. Ports are requested now to take on social responsibility by implementing community advisory groups and by working and debating with municipalities. They have to ensure that projects are designed while minimising their potential negative impact on the quality of live of the citizens.

The same necessity has been underlined by Angel Gonzalez Rul Alvidrez, General Director of Ports, Secretariat of Communication and Transport of Mexique. Public debates and communication actions have to be developed and ports may even play an educational role towards population and children. Specific planning programmes devoted to city-port relationship and integration are currently included within the national development plan for all the Mexican ports. But the evaluation tools are still insufficient as regards the impact of the projects on the quality of life of the citizens. Finally, a more comprehensive legislation concerning the port city relationship has to be drawn up.

As for the port of Ningbo, represented by Xingchen Zheng, Deputy Director of Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office, the challenge has been to imagine a new territory to supplement the current port. This implied the construction of a new deep port area combined with a new economic development zone dedicated to port related industries, a new urban area for 470,000 inhabitants and a free trade zone. But the key challenge will be to succeed in the integration of the neighbouring ports and to implement a holistic development of all these new urban, industrial, economic and port zones.

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Session 2 : The Sydney case Study
Monday, 6 november 2006 by IACP team

Three different presentations have illustrated the case study of Sydney and its current situation in terms of port city cohabitation.
The port of Sydney plays a major economic role in the Australian economy, but also for the City of Sydney itself, as more than 85% of the imported containers go within 40 km of the city. Efficiency of redistribution and transport systems is therefore a very important issue for the City of Sydney and for the entire State of New South Wales. Projects of relocation to the ports of Port of Kembla and Newcastle are therefore currently under discussion and need to be analysed by integrating different factors, in particular the increasing environmental and community concerns. In this case, balance is the key word for a harmonious development of the port and urban territories.

The City of Sydney famous for its world known Bay has also developed major iconic waterfront projects such as the King Street Wharf project by using private public partnerships (PPP), which enables to achieve an effective but commercially reasonable transfer of risk. Particularity of the project structure was that only on practical completion of a stage of the project the developer was granted a long term lease (99 years) for that stage. This is consistent with the NSW Government's policy of not selling the freehold interest in public waterfront land.

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Session 3 : A common territory to reorganize or to imagine
Monday, 6 november 2006 by IACP team

According to the “Montevideo 2015” plan, the City of Montevideo will become a key logistical node for the whole Mercosur area. The territory of the City owns a special fragility due to the multiple activities competing for uses of spaces. M. Jaime Igorra explains to us that this implies a detailed and careful strategical planning allowing to anticipate any ‘mis economical uses' and conflicts. For this purpose a consensus between the Government and the Municipality will be the key element to ensure future sustainable development of the Port and the City.

The competing for territories uses has been also underlined by Paul Dartnell (City of Melbourne), but in a more innovative approach i.e. the competing for water spaces uses. Recreational activities, leisure activities, sports, events, port activities, everyone wishes to be in the same place! Melbourne set up a model and a monitoring of all the current uses of its waterways, allowing by doing so a “zoning” of the water areas: who, where, when, for doing what… The project has resulted in an integrated and holistic vision for the use of the rivers, including the port area, for the next ten years.

Julian Maganto from the Ente Publico Puertos del Estado pointed out that in Spain the research of a sustainable equilibrium between port and urban territories is included in the national legislation. In the framework of this legislation, plan for uses of port spaces outlines and restricts the areas available to the port. The needs for port developments, criteria for new commercial uses in ports, compatibility of commercial requirements and surroundings and urban requirements of the City have to be demonstrated and justified.

James Wang, associated professor at the University of Hong Kong did explore the port city developments in China. In the context of globalised trade, maritime economy is usually analysed as a market driven economy. The continuous increasing power of international operators and companies is a main concern of the port authorities all over the world. China has engaged a pro active strategy. The 3 institutional levels – State, provincial and local governments – are strongly supporting ports as key element of the regional and national economy. As a result of the “one region hub plan” State strategy, huge developments have been planned and are currently being completed in very short periods compared to European standards. The question remaining: Considering that the development depends on the power of either the government or strong economic actors, which can be the co-existence of major ports supported by the State and the secondary ports in China?

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Session 4 : A common territory to reorganize or to imagine
Monday, 6 november 2006 by IACP team

The 4 communications presented during session 4 have given a contrasted vision of what could be done for the organisation of the port-city territory.

The Basque Country, as institutional and geographical entity, has given the frame for a report on the organisation of a territory structured by a heavy network of port cities: from the smallest fishing ports to the big industrial ports of Bilbao or Pasajes.

After several years of conflicts between the National Ports Authority of South Africa and the Municipality of Durban situation seems to improve now. City and Port Stakeholders have finally agreed on a common development strategy. This vision they are sharing now is based on a good understanding of the ‘non negotiables' for the port and the city. The role of the State remains essential in the management and organisation practices of the port-city territory.

That is the case in Durban, but even more in Santos, the first port in Brazil where the city-port collaboration is allowing today to plan for a radical re-organisation of the common space. A project of port relocation would enable to get back for urban uses big part of the former port area adjacent to the city centre and to plan for an ambitious Waterfront development project.
In Santos, and more generally in South America, the political game remains however an important factor to be taken into account for the decisions … and their implementation.

On the contrary, in Newcastle (Australia), this is the State Government which has permitted the renovation of highly polluted and damaged derelict port lands favouring public spaces and access to the water.
A project that some of the delegates will discover when visiting Newcastle on Wednesday 8th November.

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Session 5 : Making port functions and urban waterfront cohabit
Monday, 6 november 2006 by IACP team

Three different visions of how to organize and to imagine the port city territories have been proposed during the session 5.

The port city of La Corogne is planning to reorganize completely its city port territory by relocating the entire port infrastructures 10 to 15 kilometres further away from the current site. This will allow to release new spaces and to reduce the existing high urban density of the city. The decision has been made, but planning and organization have still to be imagined and implemented.

Santa Fe in Argentina, City at the edge of the “Bio Oceanic Corridor” and linking the two oceans is heading towards an original image of its port city: “the new Venice” by putting the port heritage into value and its relation with the water in particular with the river Rio Parana. The power of imagination will do the rest.

Fremantle also keeps building its port city relationship every day. Being aware of the polluting impacts generated by the port activities and the challenges of sustainability to be respected, the port authority has to innovate and to imagine new methods and practices in order to propose a more harmonious and acceptable port city cohabitation. Fremantle exposed the major measures to be implemented.

The last comments presented by the Chairperson Antoine Rufenacht: “The port cities have something magical! This magic is also the key to the best possible future of each of these port cities.”

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Session 6 : Making port functions and urban waterfront cohabit
Monday, 6 november 2006 by IACP team

Looking for a good balance between port and city is certainly the main direction to be privileged by all the actors. “No doubt, this balance is fragile, as mentioned by Mr. Aznar Garrigues, President of the Port of Valencia, but the opening of the port towards the city is becoming more and more essential, as it allows to reinforce its presence and assure the development of both partners. It is important to surpass the satisfaction of the only demands of development of the port in order to enhance the quality of life of all citizens.”

Mr. Langenier, Mayor of the City of Le Port (Island of La Reunion) agreed with this statement. After reminding the creation of the Observatory of the ports of the Indian Ocean (in 2006 in partnership with the IACP), he explained that “the concept of a port city as a tool city needs to be revisited and that the development is based above all on political decisions. The achievement of technical challenges is coming after. New identity steps have to be engaged for implementing projects on culture, economy and leisure.”

It appears that port and city are from now on ready to take up the challenge of cohabitation, the only possible way for eager port cities to offer their citizens a sustainable living environment. The projects already implemented such as the Silo d'Arenc and the Terraces of the Port in Marseilles (France), but also the forthcoming project of Wynyard Point in Auckland (New Zealand), concretely come to illustrate this new ambition.

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Sunday, 5 November

" Here we are! "
Sunday, 5 november 2006 by IACP team

The 10th international Conference Cities and Ports is launched. More than 250 delegates from 47 countries did register on this Sunday afternoon. Further participants are expected during the forthcoming days. We received an extremely warm welcome of our Australian partners during the cruise trip allowing the delegates to admire the beautiful Sydney Bay including the Darling Harbour, the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and many spectacular foreshores. A friendly and relaxed excursion that all the delegates did enjoyed.

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