Marseilles (France): A landscaped boulevard for the city centre’s waterfront

Integrating port-city territories into the urban structure can be achieved by extending existing physical communication infrastructure, such as roads and rails. Also, new types of connection infrastructure are needed to help end the physical isolation of these sites: pedestrian access, bicycle paths, tramways, buses, etc. These new links will be essential when railways or highways have cut off access to parts of the port for the public. In some situations, the dismantling of big structures can also help. This was the case in Marseille, where a highway’s demolition allowed the construction of a boulevard reconnecting the city and port.

This good practice also includes objective 8.3 (Developing public spaces and recreational or cultural amenities in Port City interface zones to create an appealing new area) of the AIVP’s 2030 Agenda.