{"id":47518,"date":"2026-06-09T10:17:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T08:17:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aivp.org\/initiatives\/aivp-award\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T15:01:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T13:01:39","slug":"aivp-award","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aivp.org\/en\/our-initiatives\/aivp-award\/","title":{"rendered":"AIVP Award"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Accueil<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award<\/h1>

Established in 2024 by the AIVP, the AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award is presented every two years to recognize the most outstanding urban development projects. This international award celebrates urban and port excellence in support of sustainable development and the city-port relationship. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Driving Innovation at the Heart of the World\u2019s Port Cities<\/h2><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The only international award<\/strong> dedicated to the development of city-port interfaces and the improvement of city-port relations.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Eligibility<\/h4>

Projects completed within the last 3 years located at city-port interfaces and\/or on former port sites.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Key criterion<\/h4>

Alignment with the 10 goals of the AIVP\u2019s 2030 Agenda.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Calendar<\/h4>

Applications accepted from March through July 2026.
The award ceremony will be held in November 2026 in Dunkirk.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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<\/svg><\/span>Apply for the 2026 Edition<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/svg><\/span>Discover the winners from last year's competition<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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A Tribute to Antoine Rufenacht<\/strong><\/h2>

Mayor of Le Havre from 1995 to 2010 and founding president of the AIVP from 1988 to 2002, Antoine Rufenacht was a French politician and business leader who was highly regarded by his peers. Passionate about Le Havre, a port city ravaged by World War II, he devoted his entire life to understanding and highlighting its uniqueness, particularly its identity as a port city. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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For him, the interconnection between a city\u2019s influence and a port\u2019s appeal was self-evident.

His vision of urban planning as a set of coherent and inseparable initiatives, his understanding of the role of port cities in globalization, his willingness to listen, and his open-mindedness have permanently transformed the image of his city and helped shape the identity and purpose of the AIVP.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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<\/svg><\/span>Learn more about the AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Prize pays tribute to him as a man of projects and dialogue, and highlights his vision of the port city as a balance between long-term planning, urban coherence, and innovation.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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An international award for exemplary projects<\/h2><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For several years now, dozens of cities across five continents have, in partnership with port authorities, explored the city-port relationship through the lens of unique urban developments and iconic architectural projects. These projects pave the way for new ways of envisioning and reimagining the city, the port, and their functions at the local, regional, and global levels. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

The AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award recognizes the most outstanding city-port interface projects that embody a sustainable and innovative vision of the city-port relationship. More specifically, this award aims to foster dialogue and healthy competition in pursuit of a safer and more sustainable future, ensuring that port cities remain sources of life, work, and pride. <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2024<\/div>
Premi\u00e8re \u00e9dition<\/div><\/div>
23 projects<\/div>
from all over the world<\/div><\/div>
6<\/div>
finalists<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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4 eligibility criteria for applying to the 2026 edition<\/h2>

Following a successful launch in 2024, the AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award returns for a new edition in 2026 with its original mission intact: to recognize and promote the most outstanding urban-port interface development projects. The AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award is open to port, local, and\/or regional authorities in maritime and river cities around the world.<\/strong> <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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City-Port Interface<\/h3>
City-port interface: the project must be located within a city-port interface and\/or on former port land.<\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>
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Completed<\/h3>
The project must have been completed within the past three years, based on the year of the current...<\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>
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Vision<\/h3>
The project must form part of an overall strategy for the development or transformation of the port city...<\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>
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Sustainable Development<\/h3>
The project must be aligned with the objectives of the AIVP 2030 Agenda.<\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/svg><\/span>Apply for the 2026 Edition<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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A prestigious, international jury<\/strong><\/h2>

The jury for the AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award is composed of international representatives, including experts and decision-makers in the urban and port sectors who are recognized for their expertise in urban planning, architecture, port development, climate change adaptation, and\/or community engagement. All have developed expertise in areas related to improving the city-port relationship. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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To him, the interconnection between a city's influence and a port's appeal was obvious.<\/p>

The jury is co-chaired by Geraldine Knatz (Los Angeles, United States), the first female CEO of the Port of Los Angeles and a member of the board of directors of AltaSea, a large-scale project to transform the city-port interface in San Pedro into an innovation campus dedicated to the blue economy, and Carola Hein (Delft, Netherlands), a professor and holder of the UNESCO Chair on Water, Ports, and Historic Cities at Delft University. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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<\/svg><\/span>Meet the jury members<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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G\u00e9raldine Knatz<\/h3>
Co-Chair in Charge of the Grand Jury<\/div>

Los Angeles - United States<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/article>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Carola Hein<\/h3>
Co-Chair in Charge of the Expert Committee<\/div>

Delft - NETHERLANDS<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/article>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Award Process<\/h2>

The AIVP Antoine Rufenacht Award follows a rigorous, multi-step evaluation process, ensuring a fair and thorough review of each nomination.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Selection of Candidates<\/strong><\/p>

A committee of experts evaluates all the applications received using a standard evaluation grid and selects the finalists.<\/p><\/div><\/article>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Candidate Interviews<\/strong><\/p>

These candidates are then interviewed by the Grand Jury, which asks them about their approach, their vision, and the impact of their project on the relationship between the city and the port.<\/p><\/div><\/article>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Announcement of the Winner<\/strong><\/p>

The winner is announced at the AIVP World Conference, which attracts an average of 300 participants, giving the winner international exposure. <\/p><\/div><\/article>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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<\/svg><\/span>Apply for the 2026 edition<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Schedule for the 2026 Edition<\/h2><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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