The new cruise ship terminal at Tallinn is now operational. Its environmental impact has been reduced by the installation of solar panels and use of marine power. Furthermore, it is a multifunctional installation: outside the cruise ship season it can be used for events, concerts and conferences. A new promenade has been opened giving access to various tourist zones, including the old city centre classed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. It is yet another attraction in Tallinn, an ancient port that already draws 10 million passengers a year.

Port of Tallinn (+ images)

Canada Lands Company has announced the launch in 2022 of the first phase of work to redevelop access to the Old Port of Montreal, and public spaces on the site. An investment of 50 million CAN$ is planned. The works form part of a master plan developed from a long public consultation process. The object of this long-term view is to give new life to a recreational and tourist site along the banks of the Saint Lawrence River, already the most popular in Quebec with 6 million visitors a year. Recreational use of the site will be boosted, and the planned redevelopment will provide much better integration between the Old Port and the historic quarter of Old Montreal.

Canada Lands Company ; Press release ; The Old Port of the Future

The IUCN World Conservation Congress has just opened in Marseilles. One of the priorities of this world congress is the preservation of marine mammals. Port cities certainly have a responsibility in this area, but also a window of opportunity, according to a report by the World Bank, which estimates future investment at 711 billion US$. The report cites the example of Colombo (Sri Lanka), where investment in coastal wetlands is an integral part of the master plans. The African Development Bank wants to go further still: it proposes that biodiversity should be included in estimating GDP. 30 to 50% of the total wealth of Africa comes from ecosystem services or natural heritage.

More than one year after the tragic explosion that devastated the Lebanese capital, the reconstruction plans remain unclear. Already at the end of 2020 the World Bank published a note addressing the key challenges of the port sector in Beirut, with the support of international experts and AIVP members like the Port of Rotterdam. During springtime, a German initiative was launched coordinated by HPC. The particularity of this proposal is that it proposes a comprehensive plan for both port and city, including the reconstruction of the port terminals and neighbourhoods, following an “European approach”. Even if the political situation remains unstable, the German team has recently given another step by launching the Beirut PortCity Dialogue to discuss the different options for the reconstruction, engaging the citizens in this debate.

The Belgian capital hosts many important construction sites, requiring a huge amount of materials. To avoid using trucks and the negative impact they could have in the environment, economy and traffic, the Port of Brussels (PoB) is working with developers to use waterway transport. The five-year plan for construction sites developed by the PoB involves 80 projects and includes the support of one transport expert, free of charge, to help the developers and contractors plan their logistics. Waterway logistics have already helped different project to be more sustainable, for example transporting sand for a sports complex, saving 106 tons ofCO2. Besides the commercial use, the canal is also for the environment and leisure. For that reason, the PoB is also developing a new biodiversity plan and making the area more accessible with new pedestrian and cycling bridges.