We are continuing our professional education line with a 5-day workshop to Morocco. Hosting from NIMAR in Rabat, we have planned exciting field trips to the urban port-city-scapes of Salé in Rabat, Casablanca and Tangier. This workshops is designed for urban planners, architects, municipal officials, port managers, policymakers, and cultural practitioners seeking an innovative and unique approach to the development of port cities.
Port city territories are unique intersections of urban development, communities, and waterfront environments. Their deep connections between water, heritage, infrastructure, and port residents create both exceptional opportunities and complex challenges. Yet too often, their distinctive qualities are overlooked, resulting in development that neglects heritage, weakens identity, and misses opportunities for communities, businesses, and the environment. Achieving sustainable futures in these territories requires a clear, robust, and shared vision.
This 5-day workshop based in Rabat, Morocco invites participants to explore how port cities can harness their heritage and unique characteristics to develop sustainable urban spaces and engaged communities, while maintaining the essential flows of port activity. At its core, the workshop asks: How can port cities balance urban life with the demands of global trade? What kinds of strategies can ensure resilience, inclusivity, and adaptability over the next 30 to 50 years? Using a value-based approach, participants will apply tools and methods to design strategies for resilient, multifunctional port spaces that integrate economic, social, and environmental priorities.
Hands-on Learning through Port Tours Immersive visits to the ports of Tangier, Tangier Med, and Casablanca, and the cities of Rabat and Salé, will allow participants to experience firsthand the dynamics of port city territories—from maritime flows and industrial infrastructure to urban landscapes and socio-ecological contexts. These tours provide a living laboratory to apply analytical tools, spark discussion, and inspire project ideas.
What you will learn
- Identify local and global challenges of planning for port city territories.
- Understand overlapping needs and potentials through shared goals and values.
- Apply tools and methods for analysing and planning future-proof port city territories.
- Communicate insights to diverse stakeholders.
- Develop actionable strategies and long-term visions for your port city, informed by fieldwork, tours, and peer feedback.
Day 1 - Exploring Port City Territories (Monday, October 26th)
The workshop opens with a welcome session, introductions, and case study sharing, followed by a lecture on valuebased, socio-cultural approaches to port city development. In the afternoon, participants embark on an instawalk through Rabat/Salé, using visual storytelling to capture layered histories and socio-ecological dynamics.
Day 2 - Multi-Scalar Stakeholders and Tools for Transition (Tuesday, October 27th)
The morning introduces the multi-scalar nature of deltas and port city territories, with tools for stakeholder mapping and identifying shifting values. Participants engage in interactive activities such as spatial mapping and a serious game on port construction. In the afternoon, a field trip to the Port of Casablanca provides firsthand insight into logistics operations, trade flows, and socio-ecological challenges.
Day 3 - Temporal Thinking and Visioning for Port City Transitions (Wednesday, October 28th)
This day focuses on time and temporality in transition processes. A morning lecture and workshop guide participants in creating collective global and local timelines of port city change. Participants then explore trade-offs and cooperation through a serious game on water values. In the afternoon, design and mapping workshops allow participants to analyse port city sites, visualize socio-ecological dynamics, and co-create future-oriented strategies.
Day 4 - Understanding Port Landscapes (Thursday, October 29th)
Participants spend the day in Tangier, combining historical and contemporary perspectives. A morning field trip to Tangier City port highlights the integration of the port with urban life, communities, and passenger activities. After lunch, a visit to Tangier Med provides an in-depth look at large-scale port infrastructures, industrial operations, and sustainability challenges.
Day 5 - From Visions to Action: Strategic Planning for Port City Futures (Friday, October 30th)
The final day brings together the insights and methods explored throughout the week. In the morning, an applied design lab guides participants in developing 30-year strategic roadmaps, personas, and impact assessments for their own port city territories. In the afternoon, participants present their visions and strategies in a concluding session, with feedback from peers and instructors.
Workshop fees:
Full fare: €800
Africa-based participant: €500
Students: €300
The fee includes lunch, field trips transportation, and a group dinner at the end of the first day. Fee does not include accommodation and travel expenses.
Location: NIMAR, 3, Avenue Mohamed El Fassi (ex. Av. Marrakech). 10010 Hassan, Rabat, Morocco.
Lead instructor
Carola Hein is Professor and Chair of the History of Architecture and Urban Planning department at Delft University of Technology. She leads the PortCityFutures research program that aims to evolve socio-spatial conditions, use and design of port city regions, in particular exploring areas where port and city activities occur simultaneously and sometimes conflict.
