From planning the port/city to planning the port-city : exploring the economic interface in European port cities

In last three decades, planning agencies of most ports have institutionally evolved into a (semi-) independent port authority. The rationale behind this process is that port authorities are able to react more quickly to changing logistical and spatial preferences of maritime firms, hence increasing the competitiveness of ports. Although these dedicated port authorities have proven to be largely successful, new economic, social, and environmental challenges are quickly catching up on these port governance models, and particularly leads to (spatial) policy ‘conflicts’ between port and city. This chapter starts by assessing this conflict and argue that the conflict is partly a result of dominant—often also academic—spatial representations of the port city as two separate entities. To escape this divisive conception of contemporary port cities, this chapter presents a relational visualisation method that is able to analyse the economic interface between port and city. Based on our results, we reflect back on our proposition and argue that the core challenge today for researchers and policy makers is acknowledging the bias of port/city, being arguably a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hence, we turn the idea of (planning the) port/city conflicts into planning the port-city’s strengths and weaknesses

An overview of innovations and technology for sustainable development of seaports

Seaports are important factors in global economies since most of the global trade is operated through maritime sector. Economic importance of seaports can be observed from various positive effects they produce for the area where they are located. At the same time, seaport activities create negative effects on the environment such as marine, air and soil pollution, waste production and noise generation that affect the health and quality of life of people. This paper analyses the possibility of achieving sustainable development of seaports through the development and implementation of innovations. The implementation of innovations in seaports affect the success of their operations, reduces business costs and creates conditions for maintaining a competitive position on the market; thereby affecting the economy as a whole. Moreover, innovations reduce negative effects on the environment thus affecting the ecological aspect and improve the quality of life of citizens, thus affecting the social aspect. The results of the research indicate that innovations in the maritime sector are mostly focused on the existing markets and include a discounted process of small improvements in the areas of vessel design and construction, fuel technology and port infrastructure. However, the development possibilities of seaports can also include innovations that are more focused on information and communication technologies (ICT). Innovations can address economic, social and environmental concerns and can give alternative guidelines for achieving sustainable development of seaports.Peer Reviewe

Accidental impacts on historical and architectural heritage in port areas: the case of Brindisi

Most port areas can produce impacts on the historical and architectural heritage, leading to rapid pathological effects and generating high risks in terms of damages and losses of historical, artistic, and cultural values. In effect, in addition to stationary actions (air pollution, waste, water discharge), port activities could generate exceptional impacts: the so-called “major accidents”, such as fires or explosions and chemical releases. The present contribution analyses and discusses a given case, the port of Brindisi, suggesting a methodology for the assessment of exceptional impacts in ports, in order to identify those potential accidents and their effects on the historical landscape. It points out that, as often occurs in ports, the most frequent major accidents are caused by activities involving hazardous materials. The methodology proposed for this given case aims to demonstrate that in the historical port areas, such as in the Mediterranean Sea, the development and management should be accompanied, or even oriented to the protection of the historical and cultural landscape.Postprint (author's final draft

Polyvocal Portolans: Nautical Charts and Hybrid Maritime Cultures In Early Modern East Asia

Argues for the development of a late sixteenth and early seventeenth century Japanese cartographic practice that reflected a combination of traditions that were commonly practiced by seafarers traversing East Asian waters.Early Modern Japan Networ

Maritime Climate in the Canary Islands and its Implications for the Construction of Coastal Infrastructures

Islands are isolated systems that depend on maritime trade for their subsistence. Efficient, durable and structurally reliable port infrastructures are essential for the economic and social development of islands. However, not all port infrastructures are designed in the same way. They can vary, depending on whether they are built on continental land, built on non-volcanic islands or built on volcanic oceanic islands (such as the Canary Islands, Spain). The latter islands are the subject of this study due to their specific features, construction difficulties and the importance of sound maritime infrastructures. The maritime climate of an area consists of the wave and storm regimes that affect it and, from these, the coastal dynamics and coastal formations of that area can be studied. For this reason, historical data were collated on significant directional wave heights from 1958 to 2015 from several WANA-SIMAR points in the virtual buoy network of State Ports of Spain located near the Canary Islands. These data have been studied to obtain the maximum directional wave heights (Hs) at each point. With this analysis, we have obtained useful summary tables to calculate wave height by a graphic method that transforms the distribution function into a line drawn on probabilistic paper, using reduced variables. This enables adjustments to be made by linear regression and minimum square methods to facilitate planning and design of maritime infrastructures in a reliable way. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2022-08-01-02 Full Text: PD

External Costs of Transportation. Case Study: Maritime Transport

A sustainable transport system needs a cost accounting and full cost-pricing systems reflecting economic factors which originate from transport activity inhibiting sustainable development (namely, externalities; spillover effects and non-priced inter-sectorial linkages; public goods; uncompetitive markets; myopic planning horizons and high discount rates; risk and uncertainty, irreversibility and policy failures) (Panaytou, 1992). The evaluation of the impacts of transport enables policy analysis to formulate tools to avoid, reduce or compensate such costs, as well as to make optimal trade-off between environmental protection and other economic and social objectives (Quinet, 2003). In particular, there is a consensus that environmental effects (externalities) should be included in the assessment of projects and policies in order to define effective policy instruments for dealing with pollution entailed by transport. This report defines a comprehensive framework for the assessment of maritime external costs that has been chosen as case study. In order to do so, this report is organized in two sections: (i) identification of all environmental impacts of maritime transport (at sea and in ports) and a detailed analysis for those already studied in previous researches in literature; (ii)Estimation of identified environmental impacts focusing on those related to air pollutants.JRC.H.4-Transport and air qualit

Wireless communication, identification and sensing technologies enabling integrated logistics: a study in the harbor environment

In the last decade, integrated logistics has become an important challenge in the development of wireless communication, identification and sensing technology, due to the growing complexity of logistics processes and the increasing demand for adapting systems to new requirements. The advancement of wireless technology provides a wide range of options for the maritime container terminals. Electronic devices employed in container terminals reduce the manual effort, facilitating timely information flow and enhancing control and quality of service and decision made. In this paper, we examine the technology that can be used to support integration in harbor's logistics. In the literature, most systems have been developed to address specific needs of particular harbors, but a systematic study is missing. The purpose is to provide an overview to the reader about which technology of integrated logistics can be implemented and what remains to be addressed in the future

The Influence of Water Quality on the Structural Development of Vessels: Smart Dimensioning Process

In fact, it is pivotal the development, use, and management of the best and most suitable coatings to be supplied to vessels—especially those designed for long journeys; not only to increase their stability and safety but also to minimize their maintenance cost. In this regard, it should be also considering the function, the vessel typology and its routes, as well as the quality of the waters by which it will navigate. Topics that are critical to promote a better dimensioning process of vessels. Thus, the present chapter, via an extensive literature review articulated with practical approaches, aims to define relevant directions for vessels structural development processes regarding the water quality (sea or river waters), where they will outline their routes. Therefore, the study looks for a relationship between the vessels structural coating design process and the quality of the water where they navigate. Moreover, such a process not only will optimize/minimize the costs with the periodic maintenance of the vessels linings, but also to relate it with its routes—contributing to the revitalization of their structural dimensioning