About the World Conference: Concept and Previous Editions

Theme: “Ports, Cities, Climate: Cooperating to Innovate and Adapt”. This edition explored the central role of port cities in addressing the challenges of climate change, geopolitical tensions and socio-economic inequalities. Discussions focused on adaptation strategies, innovation, territorial resilience and cooperation between stakeholders in order to reconcile global dynamics with local issues. Our partner: NYC EDC

Theme: “Open Piers”. This edition explored the changing relationship between port cities and the planet. Key topics included reopening waterfronts, the impact of climate change and geopolitical tensions, the energy transition, the blue economy and new governance models. The conference also addressed the integration of major activities such as cruises, while strengthening ties with citizens. Our partner: Porto de Lisboa

Theme: “Linking Ports and Citizens”. This edition highlighted the importance of citizen dialogue for sustainable port development, addressing key issues such as the energy transition, climate change, tourism and the resilience of port cities. Venice served as a symbolic case study, illustrating the challenges and solutions associated with the city-port interface. Our partner: North Adriatic Port Authority of Venice

After a four-year break due to the pandemic. 350 participants. Theme: “Inspiring Blue Futures”. In Tangier, AIVP members and port city stakeholders discussed projects already implemented in the blue economy. They examined how city-port territories are adapting to climate change and addressing new challenges such as access to quality food for all. They highlighted innovation and explored how port cities are preparing to become the future hubs of the ocean economy. Our partners: Port de Tanger Ville; SMIT, National Ports Agency, Northern Region

Addressing the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the 16th World Conference Cities and Ports was held under the theme “Next Generation”, exploring the aspirations of port city residents. On this occasion, AIVP adopted its 2030 Agenda, developed in collaboration with UN-Habitat and translating the 17 SDGs into a city-port framework. Its ratification one year later was officially announced in Riga, Latvia. The 2030 Agenda, available on our website, is now the thematic backbone of AIVP’s work. Our partner: Port of Quebec

Theme: “Crossovers”. At the heart of the innovation district of Europe’s largest port, participants envisioned a port city focused on renewable energy and the circular economy, offering creative mobility solutions for both people and freight, providing a pleasant living environment within a constantly evolving urban setting, and remaining connected to its citizens. Technological change, societal developments, citizen involvement, the emergence of collaborative practices, and local and global environmental challenges all intersected as AIVP continued to bring together port cities from around the world. Our partners: City of Rotterdam, Port of Rotterdam and Stadshavens Rotterdam

The “Smart Port City” concept emerged for the first time. Faced with the combined effects of economic, environmental and resource-related crises, port cities developed innovative strategies integrating renewable energy production, tourism activities and environmental management. These new challenges further complicated the governance of urban-port territories, which are characterised by multiple interfaces and uses. Becoming smarter, in everyone’s interest, was more necessary than ever. Being “smart” means better managing flows of value, energy, data and people while remaining proactive in pursuing sustainable development. Our partners: City of Durban, National Ports Authority

The still-recent 2008 economic crisis, the depletion of natural resources, climate change, energy issues and the emergence of new economic powers were all having a profound impact on the economic, social and environmental realities of port cities. The need to join forces to develop both technical and political innovations, and to align the timescales of local projects with those of global change, was becoming increasingly urgent. AIVP and port cities continued to rise to the challenges of the time. Our partners: Port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire, City of Saint-Nazaire

New World, new challenges, new context! Following the Copenhagen World Climate Conference held one year earlier, which demonstrated society’s extremely high expectations for a new growth model capable of safeguarding the future, anticipating the strategies and innovations required for sustainable development projects became more than ever part of AIVP’s role. The network therefore expanded its discussions around these issues. Directly exposed to environmental, climate, financial and economic crises, port cities worked together to imagine their shared future. Our partners: General Ports Administration, Port of Buenos Aires, Port of Rosario, Puerto Madero.

Under the high patronage of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the port cities gathered for the 11th World Conference Cities and Ports addressed the issue of sustainable development in highly sensitive maritime, river and estuarine natural environments. Together, they faced a dual global and local challenge: global because of their commercial and industrial activities in a highly competitive context, and local because they needed to organise their territories and reconcile port competitiveness strategies with the neighbouring urban environment. Our partner: Ports of Stockholm

As the association celebrated its 18th anniversary, the network gathered for the 10th World Conference Cities and Ports to address AIVP’s central theme: the shared future of city territories and port territories. With port functions expanding or relocating on the one hand, and central urban districts being redeveloped around historic waterfronts on the other, few port cities had not already embarked on an urban waterfront regeneration process. Our partner: New South Wales Port Authority

Theme: modernity and identity in the port city, two themes often used as guiding principles by port cities around the world. Their modernity is expressed through the need to integrate into global networks and translate political, economic and social choices into infrastructure, facilities and management policies. This is balanced by the question of identity and respect for landmarks and heritage, a crucial issue in a city-port environment so prone to modernisation. Enhancing heritage and highlighting distinctive local values were two of AIVP’s responses. Our partner: Lisbon Metropolitan Area

The 8th World Conference Cities and Ports set out to initiate discussions around an issue that would prove fundamental to the future of port cities: sustainable development in the context of ever-accelerating globalisation. To gain a better understanding of all the economic, social and environmental factors involved in developing better industrial dynamics and urban strategies, port cities focused on the sharing of best practices, a principle central to AIVP. Our partners: Municipality and Port of Dalian

Twelve years after the inaugural conference in Le Havre, the AIVP network returned to France, more precisely to Marseille, for the 7th World Conference Cities and Ports. In this Mediterranean city, one of the Association’s founding port cities, participants reached a broad consensus on the importance of environmental issues. Discussions focused in particular on the first environmental management systems implemented in ports, as well as on the potential of intermodality and maritime and inland waterway transport as cleaner modes of transport. Our partners: City and Port of Marseille

An overview of the expectations and strategies of economic stakeholders choosing to establish themselves in port cities. Changes in port infrastructure enabled new uses of the city-port interface, once again making it an asset for port cities positioning themselves as hubs within production networks. Three main themes guided the discussions: the city’s return to its waterfront, the conditions for successful business development in the port city, and Mercosur as a driving initiative. After the conference, participants visited the Puerto Madero urban development project in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a major urban regeneration programme involving the city’s oldest port basins in the heart of the city. Our partners: National Ports Administration of Uruguay, Puerto Madero, Argentina

For the 5th World Conference Cities and Ports, port cities from around the world gathered in Africa for the first time. They addressed the role of ocean gateways and the development of inland territories. They examined regional planning processes to determine how port areas could respond more coherently to the economic, social and environmental challenges they faced. Our partners: City and Port of Dakar

In his opening address, John Ciaccia, Canada’s Minister of International Affairs, explained that the event had been organised “to focus on issues of current international concern […] in order to enable new initiatives aimed at the harmonious development of cities and ports, while respecting public expectations and environmental requirements”. At the end of the event, the Charter of Cities and Ports for the Environment was adopted, establishing AIVP as a pioneering organisation in both environmental matters and citizen consultation, only one year after the Rio Earth Summit. Our partners: St. Lawrence Development Secretariat, Port of Montreal

The 3rd International Conference Cities and Ports marked a turning point for AIVP, bringing together port cities from all five continents for the first time. In the Ligurian capital, discussions focused on city-port complementarity as a means of achieving more efficient economic development. The already emerging concept of the “waterfront” was explored as both a “response to the new economic directions of port cities” and an essential tool for “restoring the attractiveness of the port city”. This was the first step towards the later emergence of the “Working Waterfront” concept. Our partner: Port of Genoa

In 1989, following the first Cities and Ports Forum, the International Association Cities and Ports was founded to sustain a groundbreaking initiative and vision: bringing together all port city stakeholders to foster mutual progress. The second Cities and Ports Conference was then organised, the first held by AIVP as an international network. Its aim was to review projects being developed in major ports and cities around the world, continuing the initiative launched in Le Havre one year earlier. Our partner: Port of Barcelona

The late 1980s marked a complete transformation in city-port relations. Port activities gradually moved away from urban centres, particularly as a result of containerisation. It therefore became necessary to consider the renewal and revitalisation of former port areas that had become obsolete. This required new methods and new intervention tools to achieve better integration between port and urban areas. The first Cities and Ports Forum provided the ideal setting in which to discuss these new challenges with all stakeholders in the city-port ecosystem. Our partners: Seine-Maritime Department, Haute-Normandie Region.