Rehabilitar, reconvertir, revitalizar pero mantener el puerto en la ciudad.

Resumen

The urban planning experiences of lhe decades of the 8 0 S and 9 0S during the XXth Century marked the two main objectives of the phenomenon known as waterfront renovation projects: urban renewal and socio-economic development. The proposals opened up abandoned areas in the centre of the city to urban life, providing them with services and public facilities, obtaining greal acceptance, regardless of the quality of architecture, urban design or the level of services and activities. These interventions characterised some guidelines which were imitated in many other port cilies, trivialising contents and forms. One of the most frequent mistakes is not taking into consideration maritime activities. In these cases, generally speaking , the result has been negative when altering spaces with maritime tradition and vocation. From a sustainable alternative, in the transformation of port spaces, it is always necessary to contemplate firstly the possibility of maintaining maritime and terrestrial activities, without the privatisation of these spaces. The dock can include marinas and installations for the practice of nautical sports, passenger traffic, tourist cruises, traditional fishing, the docking of historic and scientific vessels. On land, specialised installations will be necessary for maritime activities which can be complemented with cultural centres, services buildings, commercial and tourist areas, and scientific o r information centres focused on the sea. Public spaces should structure and relate all the services and facilities as well as the urban relationship between the city and its port. The main objective is to keep the port in the city, revitalising it with new activities and facilities, without changing its character, as this always entails a loss of identity and heritage as well as a waste of new opportunities for the future development of our old port cities.