Waterfront public spaces in port cities : a case study of Lisbon and Barcelona

In recent years cities have undergone major transformations. Among them are the international port cities, which have been increasingly affected by the global transformation processes. Considering, the wide and complex phenomena of urban transformation and the impacts of the globalization, waterfront revitalization is one of the most interesting aspects of urban renewal. Economic and technological changes have fundamentally restructured ports, altering the relationship between the city and the sea, giving a new role to the ‘Cities on Water’ both from the local and global point of view. “Water is the driving force of all nature” - Leonaro Da Vinci (1452-1519). Waterfront transformation is in many cases the starting point for the revitalization of the city itself and of its relocation in the international context. Waterfronts around the world are undergoing major transformations. With the urban renewal of the industrial sites along the waterfronts, apart from those left as rusty and dilapidated, there has been remarkable development of public spaces for the entire community. Waterfront areas are generally situated in a strategic position in the cities that house them, and due to that have become a focal point for laboratories of experiments aimed at new public space structures. The waterfront- as an urban frontier has been a topic of interest and concern for a variety of disciplines that are concerned with the space (architecture, urban planning, landscape urbanism, sociology, etc). It serves as a catalyst for development and renewal since it’s one of the most dynamic parts of a city. Hence, the research also studies the changes in the port-city relation with time. An argumentative research has been carried out to study the profile of Lisbon and Barcelona along the waterfront and its transformation through time. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis has been carried out on the projects of the waterfronts and its level of success has been studied along with it. The main questions to be answered in the case studies are; 1. Features and characteristics l(Urban Parameters) of Public Space in relation to the Waterfront and vice versa. 2. Relationship between the waterfront public space, water-body and the city. The main aim of this research is to build a comprehensive knowledge on the phenomenon of public spaces along transformed waterfronts in the changing port cities and how to exploit waterfront as a tool for urban revitalization. The study also considers the public spaces that provide a visual connection to the waterfront even though they may be located physically in the interior space of the city. It shall also explore the livability and the improvement of the connection between the water and the city Through the case studies, the research attempts to investigate how the recent projects influenced the development of public spaces along the urban waterfronts, its effects on the image of the city, the quality of public life, and the level of success in attracting the people to the waterfront.