The Fluid City Paradigm

This book presents a new paradigm of knowledge and action with
respect to urban waterfronts and the “fluid city paradigm,”
explaining its methodological framework and describing an integrated and
creative planning approach in which waterfront regeneration is pursued as a key
urban-renewal strategy. It focuses especially on the WATERFRONT project (“Water
And Territorial policiEs for integRation oF multisectoRial develOpmeNT”), which
was funded jointly by Italy and Malta with the goal of developing common
guidelines, strategies, and operational tools for the planning of coastal areas,
based on cross-border exchange of experiences. In the described approach, the
waterfront is recognized as having a broad identity, acknowledging the
complexity of the relationship between seaport and town and taking into account
the physical and environmental components of human settlement, infrastructure,
and productive and recreational activities. It highlights details of the
process of renewal in the port city of Trapani, with discussion of the
implemented actions, plans, and programs. The book also examines the practices
adopted to transform city–port relationships across Europe in pursuit of
innovative and sustainable development.