Cities located on the coast and rivers have been heavily affected by flooding around the world. The container port of Liège (Belgium) was shut down last week and navigation on the Meuse severely restricted. In the German provinces of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, a 76 km stretch of the Rhine was closed to barges completely, while numerous infrastructures were devastated. Finally, the industrial heart of East Asia, the Shanghai and Zhoushan region in China, saw shipping suspended with typhoon In-Fa, responsible for flooding in Hanan, set to hit the coastline. These meteorological disasters are linked to climate change: the Vice-President of the IPCC believes that every additional degree Celsius in temperature causes rains and storms to become 7% more severe. Port cities, central to industry in Europe and Asia, are both victims of the flooding and causes of industrial pollution. In the future, they must lead the way in decarbonation.

The biodiversity on river estuaries such as the Seine, Loire or Guadalquivir is particularly rich and sensitive. These areas require special strategies based on thorough research and analysis, such as the one developed by the Urban planning Agency Le Havre – Estuaire de la Seine (AURH) (France) for the local urban community. In this document, the AURH explains among other things, the characteristics of this territory, types of species and the ecological networks. In the same direction, the Port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire (France) is supporting since 2011 research in this field. Two new projects, Biotrol and Oxymore, will expand the knowledge on the living conditions for local biodiversity, focusing on fisheries conservation and understanding water oxygenation. In Spain, the Port of Sevilla, was recently recognized for its work combining biodiversity protection and infrastructure, with the certification “Working with Nature” by World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.

UNESCO, the UN’s body responsible for heritage protection decided during the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, to remove Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City from the World Heritage List (WHL). The main argument for this decision is the impact of the Liverpool Waters development and other constructions in the site and buffer zone, including a new football stadium, that have caused a significant loss of its “authenticity and integrity”. Liverpool historic centre and Victorian docklands were part of this List since 2004, for its value as one of the world’s main trading centres during the 18th and 19th centuries and their heritage in “pioneering solutions for modern docks, transport systems and port management”. This is only the third site to be delisted by UNESCO in almost 50 years. On the opposite, the Chinese port city Quanzhou has been included in the WHL, recognizing its value as a historical maritime emporium and role in the maritime silk road.

The project “Saint-Nazaire, a maritime and coastal ambition” lays down a broad development roadmap for the next twenty years for the entire Saint-Nazaire territory. The initiative concerns various sites, and is looking for diverse and innovative solutions. It actually consists of two separate calls: one for “Standard” real estate development projects, and one for “Special” proposals, including those considered to be more exceptional or unusual. The four sites concerned by the call for urban and real estate development projects includes Ilot nautique in the Petit Maroc district, the city’s historic centre next to the Saint-Nazaire port basin. Among the sites for which “Special” proposals are being sought is “Submarine Pen 12” at Saint-Nazaire’s submarine base, an iconic location that is central to the Port-City project.

“Porto Antico”, the celebrated project for the conversion of the old port of Genoa, will mark its 30th anniversary in 2022. The project has transformed the old port profoundly, turning it into an attractive, multi-functional urban space welcoming cultural events, congresses, exhibitions, businesses, new public spaces, etc. It has also contributed to a wider reorganisation of the city and relations between the city and its port, as Alberto Cappato, Innovation Director, recalls in this article on development and sustainability in Porto Antico. 2022 will also see the launching of two new redevelopment operations: to the east of Porto Antico the “Waterfront di Levante” project, conceived by Renzo Piano; while to the west, the Hennebique grain silos will be converted, together with the Ponte Parodi wharf. Genoa is not standing still in its ambition to become one of the major cities, if not the “Capital of the Mediterranean”.