AIVP concluded its 20th World Conference Cities & Ports in New York, organised with NYCEDC from 18 to 21 November. Under the theme “Navigating Change: Innovating Ports, Cities and Climate”, the event brought together hundreds of international experts to exchange solutions, innovations, and strategies addressing the climate and urban challenges faced by port cities.

New York, a showcase of waterfront transformation

The programme featured plenaries, technical labs, workshops, and immersive site visits. Participants discovered flagship “Harbor of the Future” projects, including:

  • The Brooklyn Marine Terminal Vision Plan,
  • The redevelopment project for the Manhattan cruise terminal,
  • The development of the Blue Highways network, a driver of sustainable logistics using waterways.

The boat tour along New York’s waterfront provided an opportunity to assess the projects currently under consideration and/or under development. For more information, please consult the interactive map opposite: interactive map.

A global network in action

Drawing on case studies from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, the conference highlighted innovative approaches to climate resilience, energy transition, biodiversity, sustainable mobility, and port governance. Discussions highlighted the systemic nature of port cities and the need to coordinate multi-scale, multi-temporal, and multi-stakeholder thinking to build sustainable regions. These approaches must also be long-term and based on a rigorous methodology in order to translate strategic orientations into concrete and measurable results.

Key messages included:

  • Integration must take precedence over segmentation: it is essential to align economic, environmental, and urban priorities.
  • Resilience is non negotiable: decisions must be guided by adaptation to climate change.
  • Governance is as important as infrastructure: successful port cities cultivate sustained cooperation among all actors.
  • The energy transition is accelerating: decarbonisation is a key factor in port-city competitiveness.
  • Citizens must remain at the centre: port-city development is ultimately about improving quality of life.
  • Innovation thrives through collaboration: cross-sector and international networks are crucial to meeting common challenges.

Other highlights of the Conference:

1/ AIVP and Green Marine International have renewed their collaboration by signing a new MOU with the aim of integrating the societal criteria promoted by AIVP into Green Marine International’s certification processes.
2/ The Autonomous District of Abidjan and the Port Authority of Abidjan have committed to strengthening the city-port relationship by signing the AIVP’s Agenda 2030.
3/ The City of Brussels has reaffirmed the importance of an integrated city-port vision by joining the Port of Brussels as a signatory to the AIVP’s Agenda 2030.
4/ Finally, following the success of the 2024 edition, a 2nd edition of the AIVP Prize Antoine Rufenacht has been announced for 2026.

Meet in Dunkirk in 2026!

AIVP closed the event by stressing the importance of international cooperation and announced Dunkirk (France) as host city for the 2026 edition. This will be organised in partnership with the Urban Community and the Grand Port Maritime of Dunkirk.

Discover the full press release to learn more about the key moments and initiatives presented during this edition: here.