A second section of the waterfront has now been officially opened in Vigo (Spain). Part of the idea behind the redevelopment was to improve access for people with physical or mental disabilities. The project covers a 1.5 km stretch of the waterfront and is due to be completed by the end of 2024. It will connect the Arenal gardens to Bouzas, completing a 7.5 km route suitable for use by both pedestrians and cyclists. The €15m initiative (including €3.5m contributed by the municipal authority) aims to promote sustainable interaction between the port and the city.

The Port of Dover (UK) unveiled its “PoD 2050 Plan” in September 2024, aimed at building a long-term, comprehensive vision for the redevelopment of all of the port’s installations. The plan identifies three priority geographical areas where work will be carried out in stages. By modernising its port infrastructures and integrating the port more seamlessly into the wider urban community, Dover hopes to capitalise on its strategic location and scale up its international operations, targeting a 20% increase in the value of trade passing through the port to £173m by 2050. 

This innovative initiative intends to strengthen ties between cruise lines and the local community, promoting social integration and sustainable development in the city of Lisbon (Portugal). The program aims at creating bridges between the visitors and the local population, encouraging sustainable tourism practices and directly involving the local community. The new initiative should also promote environmental preservation, educational development, and social well-being. The concrete actions include: Guided ship tours for schools and parish councils; Urban and environmental conservation projects, in collaboration with Lisbon City Council and environmental organizations; Scholarship and vocational training programs, in partnership with educational institutions; Donation of equipment and materials to schools, community centers, and charities; awareness and education Sessions in partnership with Lisbon City Council and environmental education NGOs.

At the annual meeting of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), mayors from municipalities in ten states along the Mississippi River (USA) announced plans to cooperate with their industrial ports. The agreement will pave the way for cooperation between the river’s inland ports and coastal ports, which export some 60% of the country’s agricultural produce. It comes against a backdrop of repeated droughts in the Midwest, causing major disruption to barges carrying agricultural products and leading to significant loss of revenue ($26 billion in 2023). The mayors called for droughts to be officially recognised as “major disasters”, enabling them to qualify for more federal government relief.

With approximately 900 ports across the Philippines, the risk of biological invasions from ballast water released from ships into ports is substantial. The University of the Philippines Manila led the PORTEC Project, or “Port and Ballast Water Baselines using Ecological, Microbiological, and eDNA Approaches.” With the results of the PORTEC project, the university is drafting legislation on invasive species management in collaboration with the Maritime Industry Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard. In Suava (Fiji), the five-year mangrove research and rejuvenation “Project Halophyte” has been launched as a collaboration between universities and Swire Shipping. The project will develop innovative floating mangrove pontoons and undertake environmental restoration in partnership with local communities along the coast of Fiji’s main island Viti Levu.