We invite professionals - architects, urban planners, municipal officials, port managers, policymakers, and cultural practitioners - to engage with real-world examples and work on their own case studies at this 3-day workshop, featuring trips to Rotterdam and Scheveningen. Through this, we will explore how to activate heritage as a tool for sustainable urban development, rethink water infrastructure for multifunctional use, and design urban spaces that remain relevant for future generations.
Running from May 27 - 29
Port city territories offer a unique intersection of urban development, diverse communities, and waterfront environments, with characteristics unmatched by other cities. With deep connections between water, heritage, infrastructure, and port residents, these cities present both exceptional opportunities for growth and significant challenges. And to achieve this, they need a solid vision! Their unique attributes are often overlooked today, resulting in innovation and development that neglect their rich heritage. Consequently, this diminishes the city’s distinct identity and the likely gains for citizens, businesses, institutions, and the environment.
This 3-day workshop will help you explore a key topic: How can port cities harness their unique characteristics and heritage to develop sustainable urban spaces and foster engaged communities? And at the same time, how can they preserve the essential needs of port-related flows? At its core, this workshop is founded on the belief that port city territories, with their long history of resilience, are paradigms for sustainable development. By shaping the right vision using a value-based approach (and not only economic or technical), we can design strategies for spaces, infrastructures and institutions that facilitate sustainable environments and thriving communities, and will be recognized as valuable heritage 50 or even 100 years into the future.
Workshop plan
This three-day workshop at TU Delft Campus The Hague, featuring field trips to Rotterdam and Scheveningen, provides practical tools related to a value-based approach (including stakeholder mapping, value timelines, spatial analysis) to help you create a vision for port city territories. This dynamic and highly interactive workshop incorporates team-based exercises, brainstorming sessions, discussions, and other engaging training techniques. It offers fresh perspectives, even for those with extensive experience in port and water management, challenging conventional approaches while fostering new ways of thinking.
Day 1 - Wednesday, May 27th
Introduces key terms and concepts related to port city territories, exploring new methods and tools through in-person presentations on harnessing value across stakeholders. The day also includes a field trip to the Rotterdam delta and a tour of its port, offering a hands-on workshop that delves into the challenges and potentials of port city territories. The day concludes with a dinner.
Day 2 - Thursday, May 28th
Focuses on the use of toolboxes to address multi stakeholder dynamics to find a shared vision. Workshops, led by professionals, will engage participants in their chosen case studies. A field trip to Scheveningen will provide an opportunity to interact with local stakeholders and gain insights into their perspectives on the port’s agenda.
Day 3 - Friday, May 29th
Takes place on campus, where participants will synthesize key insights from the previous days by mapping their findings onto a timeline that connects past learnings to future strategies. Each participant will transform their vision into a concrete, actionable mission, with the option to develop a custom impact assessment for ongoing evaluation. This day marks the conclusion of the workshop.
Workshop fee: €1950. The fee includes lunch, field trips transportation, and a group dinner at the end of the first day.
Location: TU Delft, Campus The Hague, Spui 5
Lead instructor
Carola Hein is Full Professor and Chair, History of Architecture and Urban Planning at Delft University of Technology. Her research interests include the transmission of architectural and urban ideas, focusing specifically on port cities and the global architecture of oil. She leads the PortCityFutures research program that focuses on evolving socio-spatial conditions, use and design of port city regions, in particular exploring areas where port and city activities occur simultaneously and sometimes conflict.