From the point of view of landscape, the port areas and urban waterfronts – generally situated in a context characterized by large morphological elements, historical and physical peculiarities and a continuous relation with the sea, that generate complex and layered spaces where activities, activities and degrading structures can coexist – are an area where it is possible to develop new forms of interpretation and use. Moreover, thanks to the proximity to the historic fabric, the presence of water and the availability of facilities and services, they are an attractive place for people.
Several experiences of “successful” port area openings and public uses have shown that the opportunity to rethink the territorial logic can create a new identity for these places, offering a fascinating destination at residents and visitors. In addition, it can solve major issues related to the current situation, such as: the low availability of facilities and services in urban mobility systems; the high consumption of soil resources; and the lack of green areas and open space in the city.
Landscaping Port aims at interpreting the process of transformation here that characterizes the port and industrial abandoned areas through a system of articulation between the city and the landscape in order to reintroduce, in the city, the values, heritage and peculiarities that have made it famous, also restoring the landscape role as an element of relationship with the sea.
The aim is to create a system of landscape interventions that enhances the value of these spaces by focusing on the development of specific productive activities, on the one hand, and on the recovery of their historic-cultural identity, on the other. It must also provide innovative fruition forms able to represent the needs and imagination of the city, preserving at the same time the relationship with preexistences and the identity of local culture.
Sean Burkholder, Andrew Gordon Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Pennsylvania
Brian Davis, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Virginia
Tess Ruswick, Research Associate at Healthy Port Futures
Healthy Port Futures brings together innovative research and practice to design context-informed pilot projects that cultivate healthy, thriving, and climate-resilient rivermouth landscapes for small to midsize port communities. Their long-term project in Port Bay, Ontario, demonstrates natural strategies for sediment management, and it provides a model for how to manage the sea as a valuable resource. For more information, visit www.healthyportfutures.com.