Recognizing sustainable port city design
AIVP World Conference – Venice 2023
On 16 and 17 November 2023, the AIVP world conference was held in Venice on the following theme: linking ports and citizens, a shared vision of the future. On this occasion, Edouard Philippe – President of the AIVP, Mayor of Le Havre (France), and former French Prime Minister officially announced the launch of the AIVP Prize Antoine Rufenacht. The prize will honour, from 2024 onwards, a world port city that has completed an outstanding development project.
About the AIVP Prize Antoine Rufenacht
▪ A prize unique in the world
At the AIVP World Conference held in Tangier in 2022, Edouard Philippe announced the creation of the AIVP Prize Antoine Rufenacht. One year later, this prize has now been officially established and will be awarded for the first time in 2024. It is the only one prize in the world dedicated to port city development.
▪ The ambition of the Prize
The aim of the Prize is to become a world reference for the sustainable development of port cities. Its ambition is to:
- Promote integrated, forward-looking development strategies built around a global vision of what a port city should be;
- Highlight the unique, high-quality work done by the teams responsiblefor making the projects a reality;
- Support efforts by port cities around the world to adopt a sustainable approach to development, in line with the goals identified in the Agenda 2030 by AIVP.
▪ Who can apply?
The AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Prize is awarded to port authorities and/or local or regional authorities that have realized a development project:
- Located in a port city interface zone and/or on a former port site;
- Completed in the last three years;
- Promoting a global development strategy for the port city and its ecosystem;
- In line with the sustainable development goals identified in the Agenda 2030 by AIVP.
The prize is open to both AIVP members and non-members from around the world.
▪ Timeline for 2024:
- March 2024: Launch of the call for applications;
- June 2024: Deadline for applications;
- September 2024: A panel of experts led by Dr. Carola Hein will assess each entry and select a shortlist to be voted on by the jury;
- October 2024: Meeting in Le Havre (France) of the Grand Jury, led by Dr. Geraldine Knatz. The Grand Jury will assess and interview the shortlisted candidates, deliberate, and announce the winning entry;
- November 2024: The prize will be formally presented to the winning applicant in a ceremony held during AIVP’s World Conference.
▪ An international co-chair:
The co-chair of the Prize has been entrusted to two internationally renowned personalities:
Geraldine Knatz, Los Angeles ( United States), Co-Chair of the Grand Jury.
Geraldine was the first woman to serve as the Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. She is now the Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees at AltaSea. Located in San Pedro, California, this project, currently in progress, is transforming 35 acres of land in the Port of Los Angeles into an ocean-sideinnovation campus. Geraldine is also Professor of the Practice of Policy and Engineering, a joint appointment between the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy and the Viterbi School of Engineering.
Carola Hein, Delft (Netherlands), Co-Chair of the Expert Panel.Carola is Professor and Head of the Chair History of Architecture and Urban Planning at Delft University of Technology. She is the founding director of the PortCityFutures Center, which investigates the evolving spatial use and design of port city regions over time. Carola is also the Chair holder of the UNESCO Chair on Water, Ports and Historic Cities.
▪ A prize to honour Antoine Rufenacht
The AIVP Prize Antoine Rufenacht honours the memory of Antoine Rufenacht, former Mayor of Le Havre and founding Chairman of the AIVP. It pays tribute to a man of action and dialogue, and his far-sighted understanding of the port city as a coherent urban ensemble built for the long term with an avant-garde vision.
About the AIVP – The International Association Cities & Ports works to improve port-city dialogueand to promote cooperation between local and regional government authorities, port authorities, citizens, and economic stakeholders. Today, nearly 200 AIVP port city members from all over the world are committed to putting port-city dialogue at the heart of their urban, port, and economic development projects. As port cities are on the front line when it comes to sustainable development issues, the Agenda 2030 by AIVP provides an invaluable framework for testing and deploying innovative practical solutions, while retaining the unique character of each port city.
“The creation of the AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Prize is designed to foster dialogue and encourage the replication of best practices for a safer and more sustainable future, to ensure our port cities remain sources of life, work, and pride.” Edouard Philippe, President of AIVP, Mayor of Le Havre, Former Prime Minister – France
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Contacts
Annabelle ODIEVRE, AIVP communication manager / aodievre@aivp.org /+33 2 35 42 76 12
Lucile AUDIEVRE, Project Manager – AIVP Prize Antoine Rufenacht / laudievre@aivp.org / +33 2 35 42 78 84
