The new 10-year port development plan has been approved by the City Board, including key decisions and development phases for the passenger traffic and the configuration of the waterfront. The passenger traffic to Tallinn and Stockholm will be centralised to West Harbour and Katajanokka, respectively. After these stages are completed, the South Harbor will be restructured to reduce the port area leaving more space for urban activities. Simultaneously, the first phase of the design competition for Makasiiniranta area at the South Harbour has been concluded with 9 shortlisted and a public consultation. The goal of the competition is to restructure the maritime façade of Helsinki, with new pedestrian areas and the new design and architecture museum. The four finalists will be announced in short.

The Port Authority of Seville (PAS) has completed the regeneration of the coastline of the Doñana Natural Area with sediments extracted during the last dredging campaign for the maintenance of the navigation channel. In total, the Port Authority has deposited 62,000 m3 of sand, which has allowed the recovery of a 275-meter-long stretch of the right bank of the Guadalquivir River where the Doñana National Park is located. This intervention also protects the dune ecosystem and vegetation from the entry of salt water, as well as a stretch of the Almonte-Sanlúcar road that is used by researchers and visitors. This is an example of the beneficial use of sediments as a valuable resource for the recovery of coastal areas at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River.

Through its collaboration with the company Indaver, Antwerp’s port authority will recover residual heat from chemical or mechanical industrial processes to supply close to 12,500 homes, helping them to cut their energy bills. An estimated 80,000 tonnes of CO2 per year are expected to be avoided thanks to the Antwerp-North heat network. The municipality, which will enlist the services of the company Fluvius, is playing a full part in developing the heat network, particularly in the Luchtbal and Rozemaai districts.

The ports of Los Angeles (United States of America) and Shanghai (China) have partnered with C40 Cities network – consisting of nearly 100 mayors collaborating on confronting the climate crisis – to create the first transatlantic green shipping corridor. The ports aim to develop a “Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan” by the end of 2022. This Green Shipping Corridor will decarbonise goods movement between the largest ports in the United States and China and along the busiest container shipping lane globally. The project aims to phase in low, ultra-low, and zero-carbon fuelled ships through the 2020s, transition to zero-carbon fuelled ships in 2030, and reduce supply chain emissions from port operations, improving air quality in both ports and their adjacent communities.

The recent International Tourism Fair (Fitur) was an opportunity for Pilar Miranda, the Port’s President, to present the city-port projects designed to make the city of Huelva and the whole of Andalusia a more attractive destination for tourists. One of the flagship initiatives concerns the Muelle de Levante, a closed port area that is set to be re-opened to the city. There are also plans for a marina and cruise terminal in the district, along with sports, leisure, and cultural facilities and shops. The port is also keen to promote its identity and heritage, and has begun work to redevelop the Muelle de Tharsis, an old mineral terminal. Another project, dubbed “Seafood City”, will provide a showcase for sea-sourced produce. Public spaces have not been overlooked either, with developments planned on an industrial boulevard or the Paseo de la Ría del Puerto.

Atelier Kempe Thill, an architectural firm based in Rotterdam, will be overseeing the redevelopment of a unique site in Antwerp that includes nine heritage-listed dry docks. The aim is to create a place where citizens can come to learn about the city’s maritime history, and also its plans for the future. A Port Experience Center will be created in one of the existing buildings by the Province of Antwerp, in collaboration with the Port. The master plan is expected to be finalised this spring, with work beginning in late 2023.