URBAN PLANNING AND PORT DESIGN
PORTS- GATEWAYS FOR GLOBAL INTERACTION AND BUSINESS

JEFFREY HO AND ANANDAN KARUNAKARAN
SURBANA INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS, SINGAPORE.

Abstract
Since the early 70's significant attention has been paid to waterfront developments, from both a research and the planning point of view. These developments are considered to double the inhabitants and the functional issues in the next thirty years and many new cities with waterfront potentials are investing and working on bridging their cities with the new waterfront developments, which will ultimately add a new urban environment to the whole region. Majority of investigations that are carried out on the waterfront developments are focusing on the opportunities of redeveloping the old abandon port facilities and their related activities and functions. The new rhetoric in waterfront planning policy guidance is not just physical development but it is also accompanied by the reiteration of the social and economic rejuvenation of the area. The significance of the design process lies evidently on the social, economic and cultural issues for that is noticeably abandoned in the research investigations. The paper takes the opportunity to investigate the important aspects of planning and compares different case studies with a detail case study that is expressed as a comprehensive model for port design.

Context and Objective:
The objective of the process is to emphasis the important aspects of a port design, the need to successfully stretch the brand by extending beyond port related activities and also to provide complimentary activities that will strengthen the port character and improve the changing nature of the city-port interactions. The paper's endeavor is to influence any planner in making significant strides towards their goal of creating a worldclass port for the sustainable communities.

Methodology:
Our process focuses on capturing the current trends and issues on the waterfront developments and are attempted to outline the reasons behind the issues. Subsequently case studies are assessed, compared and the results are consolidated to achieve a planning literature that is dictating the aspects of a successful port design.

Cities and Ports: Urban planning Issues:
The following are the synthesis of paradoxical issues regarding the port waterfront.
The local conditions for urban economic development and the current business shape, to a large extent, waterfront redevelopments. These are not immune to the general shift from mass production to consumption, leisure and recreation, as well as to the preference for public-private partnerships, priority to large scale urban events and investments and market-oriented redevelopment schemes (hall, 1993).

The ports are also regarded to project the port as an element of instability, disorganization and urban discontinuity (cau, 1996)
The port became a capital intensive enterprise (Hayuth and Hillinh, 1992), promoting sieder partnerships with the business community and generating its own added valuegoods handling and processing- and not just performing the traditional transport function (Vallega, 1996) .In this way, the modern seaport is seen as a gateway between economic regions rather than as the traditional central place of the past (Bird, 1971 abd Hoyle and Pinder, 1992).
The port has neither a well-defined policy nor a structure for formulating and implementing programs in the coastal zone. There is inordinately slow response to technological changes in shipping; poor management of the publicly owned waterfront; a lack of effort to stimulate marine-related recreation. (The lost waterfront of New York, article is the result of research sponsored in part by NOAA, US)

Productivity is the key exertion in port business, an important part of the highly competitive market of global transport. Connectivity (Sea land), vital nodes, Networks and specialization (Rogiglio, 1996) are just some other key works of this business.
The recent literature on port management and development seems to recognize insufficient attention paid by port authorities to the importance of the urban quality surrounding the port and of how port related activities can be transformed into new opportunities for leisure, recreation and sport open up to the city; (CITTA, 2002) The assessment exemplifies the enormous potential of a port design that is to be premeditated through a hybridization process to prove the distinctiveness of port as it determines its competitive position.

Evolution of a port:
In the Anyport model which was developed by Bird (1963) he demonstrates the evolution of port infrastructure in time and space. In his research he proposed a five stage model demonstrating the facilities in a typical port development. He mentions that the elaboration of wharfs is the product of evolving maritime technologies and improvements in cargo handling. Three major steps can be identified in the port development process.

The Evolution of a Port (The Anyport Model)

- Setting. The initial setting of a port is strongly dependent on geographical considerations. On the above example, the setting is related to the furthest point of inland navigation by sail ships. A standard evolution of a port starts from the original port, most of the time a fishing port with trading and shipbuilding activities, which includes several quays (1). For many centuries until the industrial revolution, ports remained rather simple in terms of their terminal facilities. Port-related activities were mainly focused on warehousing and wholesaling, located on sites directly adjacent to the port.

- Expansion. The industrial revolution triggered several changes that impacted on port activities. Quays were expanded and jetties were constructed to handle the growing amounts of freight and passengers as well as larger ships (2). As the size of ships expanded, shipbuilding became an activity that required the construction of docks (3). Further, the integration of rail lines with port terminals enabled access to vast hinterlands with a proportional growth in maritime traffic. Portrelated activities also expanded tremendously to include industrial activities. This expansion mainly occurred downstream.

- Specialization. The next phase involved the construction of specialized piers to handle freight such as containers, ores, grain, petroleum and coal (4), which expanded warehousing needs significantly. Larger high-capacity ships often required dredging or the construction of long jetties granting access to greater depths. This evolution implied for several ports a migration of their activities away from their original setting and an increase of their handling capacities. In turn, original port sites, commonly located adjacent to downtown areas, became obsolete and were abandoned. Numerous reconversion opportunities of port facilities to other uses (waterfront parks, housing and commercial developments) were created (5). Bird (1971) suggested that Anyport was intended not to display a pattern into which all ports must be forced, but to provide a base with which to compare the development of actual ports. The model has been tested in a variety of different conditions (Hoyle, 1967).

The foregoing has demonstrated the typical progression of the port design in any setting while local conditions do produce differences in detail, there are sufficient similarities to make the Anyport concept a useful description of port morphological development. The emergence of new container terminals continues the trend towards specialization and the search for sites adjacent to deeper water. A number of authors have amended the original Anyport model to include more recent developments. As will be shown below are certain case studies that showcases the port designs, their objectives and their path towards a successful design.

CASESTUDIES:
PORT OF ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS:
Rotterdam is an outstanding logistic hub that is acting as an International centre of trade, transshipment, industry and distribution. It plays an important role in European import and export market with the largest cargo handling (328 million in 2003) & largest container port. Its success also lies in its facility to process the incoming cargo. The port and industrial area spans 40 km that runs from the city center to the North Sea with excellent hinterland connections by water, road, rail and pipeline. The traffic management system of the Port of Rotterdam comprises the Port and Coordination Center (HCC) and a network of 33 radar stations, four of which are manned. This network offers an overview of the management area, which has a total length of 100 kilometers.

Part of their Future Developmental plan projected till 2020, 'Projections 2020' integrated projections for port and industry, by the Port of Rotterdam, pictures the future of the port and the industrial area in Rotterdam. It offers the possible development in 2010 and 2020 for transshipment, industry and distribution and the possible consequences for the use of land, traffic and transport, the environment, employment and added value.

Port of Dubai, United Arabs emirates.

It is the World largest man-made harbour with106 berths in Jebel Ali Port. It has the ideal warehousing and distribution hub for a market of some 2 billion people that is combining the services of the best port in the Middle East with an efficient, dynamic infrastructure that offers a unique opportunity to do business in the Middle East. It has Stable regulations; well-developed communications, efficient transportation systems, and the pro-business environment of Dubai. It is already the base of more than 2,800 companies from more than 100 countries.

Free Zone is built around the Dubai Ports Authority's Jebel Ali terminal, enabling customers to take full advantage of the port's ISO-certified container and general cargo operations by providing full Access to Port. The Specialized unloading facilities and purpose-built storage such as the cool and cold stores are also at the disposal of Free Zone companies. Many of the companies are attracted to Dubai and the Free Zone is related to the consumer products industry and they can choose to locate close to a demanding and affluent market. In terms of the quality service the zone is served by a modern infrastructure of excellent roads, water and power. It provides Land sites or Plots of land of various sizes and other facilities includes High quality Office Units to clients on an annual rental basis with Fiber-optic network for highspeed digital lines & advanced fire detection system. The technological advancement keeps it both locally and globally connected. Its success is complimented by its Ideal Location which is ideal for companies that wish to construct its own facility for warehouse or factory requirement. It ideally portraits the significance of locating the industrial sector adjacent to port sectors.

Fremantle Passenger Terminal
Fremantle Ports' Passenger Terminal, located a short walk from the centre of Fremantle on the Victoria Quay waterfront, is a major venue for international, national and local trade exhibitions and functions. The Fremantle Passenger Terminal has the largest waterfront exhibition space in Western Australia with open-air theater facilities.

Its Objectives is to ensure consistency with a busy and thriving working port and establish a greater connectivity to the City and to create a new world class Maritime Museum as the focal point for the Fremantle Waterfront. It aims to recognize the social, industrial, architectural, and maritime heritage significance and also emphasizes on retaining the existing industrial character of the waterfront. Concomitantly it encourages an appropriate diversity of uses, excluding residential developments that complement Fremantle. It also provides a lively, safe, and accessible destination for people of all ages.

Conjecture:
As a result of the world wide increase in the container traffic, many new container ports have been rejuvenated, especially in the Asian region, which is further influenced by the fast track industrialization. The port authorities' plans to build a new and modern container port that will be able to handle mammoth capacities of goods a year. Due to the significance of new container port projects, a new port design has been considered and its strategies are assessed to understand the concept of a hybridized port.

Tianjin port:
Tianjin port is located in the east of Tanggu District, along Bohai coastline and is one of the important ports in BoHai area. Tianjin free trade zone encompasses Beijian and Nanjian port area. It is ranked no.17 by total cargo handling; the container traffic is no.6 in China and No.25 by container handling in the world.

The proposed Maritime Hub is the gateway into the Beijing and beyond market, and is the head of an important Living Corridor that stretches into Tianjin Port City and links up all the important functional nodes such as the University, exhibition center and stadium etc. It is a place where important economic sectors are encouraged to grow and thrive in "strategic investment areas", and it forms a coherent whole, knit together by its own emerging demand for goods and services, and generates business and employment opportunities and eventually formulates a place for people to work, live and play in modern and vibrant environment.

The port has been crafted as a product that will compete with the surrounding ports and establishes its own brand and position itself among the top ports worldwide. The major branding processes are the need to create differentiation in comparison with other ports, the need to demonstrate relevance as it appeals to its users as compared to the surrounding ports, the trend analysis with the key activities to ensure relevance and the need to ascertain credibility. The branding processes exemplies the extent of its task beyond port related activities and shall assimilate the strong economic and industrial base of Tianjin/Beijing area and integrates different port functions and business to allow a 'one-stop service' for port and maritime businesses. Auxiliary to cater to an exultant business Ship owner, large shipping companies, transportation companies, banking and marine insurers companies will be given a place in the hub to facilitate their functions.

The existing economic, social and industrial bases act as a strong inertia and accelerate to create an avant-garde hybridization process of a sustainable development that is effective in the contemporary situation. The process promotes the integrity of live, work and play that shapes a coherent environment that is in harmony with the overall vision. The distinctive master plan demonstrates clearly strategic concepts that make the Hub the only choice destination for all businesses directly or indirectly related to port and to everyone and anyone that work in or visit Tianjin Port City. The design aided and abetted the hybridization process by favoring the hub at all categories.

In the functional level the port's unique and distinctive factors are the Optimum and Flexible Berths for berthing of all Generation Container Vessels and Optimum seabed depths with provision for "Just-In-Time" future deepening. They emphasized on Optimum and Flexible Yard for stacking of containers with various lengths or flexible stacking. In terms of the transportation facility it stressed upon excellent linkage with national and international railway and highway systems with Excellent and Flexible Container Gates to reduce the container trailer queuing time. With the aid of excellent IT system for port efficiency the entire port activity was interlinked and the port operations were handled by wireless data communications. It opted for Optimum and Durable Quay Wall Structure and Yard Pavement to reduce capital and maintenance costs. The equipments used were State-of-the-art equipments.

The development at a diverse category is a key thread through the sustainability maze and the interweaving of the diverse land use, transport modal choice, the data communications and the various technologies endorse the hybridization leading to major mixed use development and various transformations. 'Many experts define "mixed-use" to include at least three different major uses. "Live/Work/Play/Shop" is a motto that we hear frequently to describe the benefits of mixed-use districts'. (City of Roswell Zoning Ordinance, as updated through July 2002) As a result the WORK, LIVE & PLAY transformation is considered most livable with its high quality work/live/play environment that attracts human participation and contribution to make the Hub stay ahead of its competitors.

Working port transformation:
The Artificial Port Island is not just as a container port but to become a maritime hub of the future, a one-stop center for maritime business. The Hub is especially unique as it emphases on human well-being and needs; besides heavy machineries, state-of-the-art technology pro-business policies and efficient management systems; to achieve world-class status. It has features that nurture and promote human intelligence to power the port operation.

Living port transformation:
The various recreation facilities are integrated and are sharing the same complex to synergize the various activities. These facilities are exclusive and tailored for high-level business dealings and business meetings.
Holiday bungalows and service apartments are incorporated within the complex and to be marketed to big shipping companies for their staff's recreations as well as for their guesthouse.

The business park is concentrated to be a modern, 5star and intelligent complex housing the Port Authority, various offices and a comprehensive range of commercial and leisure facilities. Major shipping companies, ship building companies, ship insurance companies, legal practices, banking, logistic companies and supporting businesses are expected to move to this new hub that will facilitate efficient business dealing and one stop service for those in the shipping business.

In the industrial zone to encourage the staffs with a flexible and easy work spaces, dormitories are provided. These are located at the nodal point of the port island and are designed with work-live- play concept that allow such residential developments within the hub and certainly various leisure and entertainment facilities. As an extension of the business park, clusters of business parks are proposed. These facilities will accommodate business that requires larger working space such as showroom for heavy port equipments, companies dealing with automation as well as those dealing with chemical. The recreational park is designated for family weekend gateway destination and consists of an international marina village with international food bazaar, the manmade lagoon for swimming, the coastal park and the oveanarium, /planetarium/maritime museum complex.
Some research campuses are also expected to take place in the business park. These research campuses will provide human resource and technology for port's further development.

Visiting port transformation:
Tianjin has a strong naval history and the canal park along the canal is essentially built to be a water reservoir collecting the surface run-off of the port island and is converted into an outdoor display of the Chinese Naval History. Different Chinese Boats/Junk from different areas in China as well as from different time zones will be displayed along the10 km long canal providing a unique and one of its kind experiences not found in other places. Some of these boats at the same time function as restaurants, hotel, souvenir shops and some shall be open for public as museums.

The waterfront recreational park is designed for family weekend gateway destination and consists of an international marina village with international food bazaar, the man-made lagoon for swimming, the coastal park and the oceanarium, /planetarium/maritime museum complex. Chalets will also be incorporated into the development to allow tourist from Tianjin or even Beijing to spend 1 or 2 nights with the family in the complex.

Typology of Port Cities Source: adapted from C. Ducruet (2003) "The Trans-Scalar Development of Transportation Hubs: A Quantitative Comparison of European and East Asian Container Port Cities in the 1990s"

> The essence of the planning is to adopt a mixed-use development which is to bring people closer. It provides more options for residents and workers and the international tourists. This design process is represented by three guiding principles: (1) facilities, (2) accessibility and (3) flexibility, these principles represent a dynamic process that determines the global success. Its developments can greatly increase the convenience in people's lives as it promotes a one stop service for the people who are in association with the maritime hub. The present state of Tianjin port comprises of residential, research, recreational and industrial facilities and is in the central metropolis scale. It has land access and maritime access, in the long run if an air access (airport) is proposed the Tianjin port shall be a comprehensive urban node with all the facilities including the various modes of transport. Consequently this port will be acting as a prototype for the future port models.

ANALYSIS TABLE:

While comparing the various case studies we examine the following results. The results of the analysis produce very different coefficients but we observe that all the results are tending towards a generic growth pattern.

ASSESEMENT MATRIX

CONCLUSION:

All the case studies selected have achieved excellence in some way. Some have developed retail outlets as their central feature; others have successfully incorporated leisure or residential components into their fabric; several have incorporated commercial and corporate real estate and a number have integrated all these elements and in doingso they have created thriving mixed-use waterfront developments.
Based on a seminal Urban Design book Responsive Environments : A manual for Designers, will explain the urban design qualities that provide for choice at many levels:- Where people can go - the quality of Permeability; The range of uses available to people - the quality of variety; How easily people can understand a place - the quality of legibility; The flexibility to use a place for a variety of purposes - the quality of robustness; The appearance and enjoyment of places - the Qualities of visual appropriateness, and richness; and How comfortable and familiar is the place - the quality of Personalisation.

In this era of neo-urbanism the old port design as a functional entity seems bizarre and nostalgic. The urban designer should produce avant-garde design solutions and remodel the urban grain & texture to meet the growing demand in the waterfront development.

The need for the master plan is clear, to transform the fortunes of the seaside from a current position of slow and steady functional activity to a future of achievable and sustained hybrid growth. The master plan can incorporate a physical strategy to deliver bold and progressive change, together with supporting regeneration strategies to ensure that the economic, social and cultural opportunities delivered as a result of the design change were accessible. The master plan can be an opening for many port design and can be based on many themes like the 'PORT-MARITIME HUB- BUSINESS AND LEISURE DISTRICT- NEW DOWNTOWN' 'NEW CBD OF THE SEASIDE- EDGE CITY, ETC...

Reference:

Tianjin artificial port island conceptual plan, Surbana International Consultants in collaboration with SPECS.

The Lost Waterfront of New York. This article is the result of research sponsored in part by NOAA, Office of Sea Grant, U.S. Department of Commerce, under grants to the New York Sea Grant Institute. The author expresses his appreciation to Robert Warren and Robert Berne for their valuable suggestions.

Urban planning and port management: The changing Nature of city-port interactions Paulo Pinho, filipa Malafaya & luisa Mendes CITTA-research center on territory, transports and environment, 2002)

Web Sources:
http://www.waterfrontexpo.com/portal/2004amsterdam/case_studies.html#1
http://www.geog.umontreal.ca/Geotrans/eng/ch4en/conc4en/anyport.html
http://www.people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch4en/conc4en/portdev.html
http://www.portofrotterdam.com/abouttheport/UK/index.asp http://www.dpa.co.ae/
http://www.informare.it/harbs/otheriuk.asp http://www.mitchellmoss.com/articles/lostwaterfront.html