Bringing together and providing support to stakeholders in river port cities for resilient and inclusive territories
What is the River Port Cities working group?
To better support its river-based members around the world, AIVP created a third working group in 2024. It aims to include the network’s inland ports and river cities, as well as researchers and private sector stakeholders, to better support them in the variety of issues that distinguish them from coastal cities and ports. The group’s work covers a wide range of topics, including :
- New modes of governance (city / port / waterway operator / third party, upstream-downstream, right and left river banks),
- Adaptation to extreme climatic events (drought, flooding, etc.),
- Innovations in urban logistics,
- Best practices in resolving conflicts linked to spatial proximity between industrial port activities and residential neighborhoods.
- Managing conflicts of use on the waterway
- etc
As with other AIVP workgroups, themes and workshops are co-constructed with members, to better meet their expectations.
An annual face-to-face meeting brings together interested members for two days of workshops and visits. Themed webinars are also organized to provide more in-depth study of jointly defined themes, with contributions from experts and best practice providers.
After an initial launch workshop at the Port of Strasbourg in June 2024, the “River Port Cities” working group met at the Port of Seville (Spain) on March 5 & 6, 2025. This second workshop on the subject of “Cities, Ports and Rivers: Responding to global challenges with local solutions” was intended to initiate a new way of operating. For 2025, the working group’s schedule of activities is organized around the case of the Andalusian port.
What the working group offers you
- International network expertise
- Regular discussions with other European and international river industry stakeholders
- Annual face-to-face meetings (2 days of workshops and field visits)
- Online themed workshops: water governance, riverbank development, river logistics, managing conflicts of use, etc.
- Feedback from pilot projects (Connected River, etc.)
Who is the working group for?
This group is aimed at AIVP members concerned by the river dimension:
- Port cities (large or medium-sized) located on rivers
- River port authorities
- Local authorities and planning agencies
- Sustainable mobility and river transport stakeholders
- Academics, researchers, NGOs, public operators, etc.
Our previous meetings
Strasbourg, 2024
On June 18–19, the Port Autonome de Strasbourg hosted the first meeting of the AIVP River Port Cities working group, led by Noémi Mené and Bruno Delsalle. Around fifteen participants gathered to discuss the unique challenges of river port cities and explore potential solutions. The event featured presentations from several ports, including Strasbourg, Lyon, and HAROPA Port, covering topics such as governance, city-port relationships, and infrastructure use. Participants also toured port facilities and took a boat tour along the Rhine. 
Sevilla, 2025
On March 5–6, the AIVP River Port Cities working group held its second workshop in Seville, hosted by the Port of Seville. The event began with the port signing the AIVP Agenda 2030 and presenting its Urban-Port District redevelopment project, alongside city planners and EDDEA City Thinking. Participants toured the transformation site and attended presentations from Strasbourg, Lyon, and Douala on integrating river ports into urban areas and addressing climate challenges. Day two focused on circular economy and biodiversity, with the Port of Seville’s project and Ecocéan’s solutions featured, along with a presentation on France’s POPSU program. The workshop concluded with discussions on waterway use governance and a boat tour of Seville’s riverfront.
