Bridging the gap
Olivier Lemaire
International Association Cities and Ports boss Olivier Lemaire looks back on 20 years of successful operation in conversation with Felicity Landon
When International Association Cities and Ports (IACP) was founded in the summer of 1988, there were a handful of members from France, Spain and Italy - and a financial subsidy from the French government for a six-month budget for two people. Twenty years on, IACP is a recognised international body with 190 members in 35 countries and a staff of nine people based in Le Havre.
He recalls: "In the 1980s, in most European countries, port cities had to solve the problem of derelict port areas. Port cities began to discover the fabulous opportunities for waterfront development, with the example of US port cities and some others. At the same time, port authorities understood that the beginning of globalisation and containerisation would change the old industrial port with new opportunities for commerce and logistics.
"The main question for many ports was: do we need to keep these historical places close to the heart of the city for port activities and, if not, what kind of new business and/or uses can we do with them?"
In that context, IACP was created in order to develop the relationships between port and local authorities, "two worlds which never speak together", says Mr Lemaire. IACP became the source of information about what could be done in these port-city spaces, and the exchange of international experience naturally followed on.
From a local initiative in Normandy looking for solutions for the port cities of Le Havre and Rouen, IACP held its first congress in Le Havre in January 1988 - and all the port authorities in France wanted to take part in the event.
International case studies were presented - most notably that of the London Docklands, the most famous example at the time. IACP's second event was held in Barcelona in 1989.
"If the initial topic to deal with was waterfront development, quickly we had to enlarge our themes; economic cooperation between ports and cities, planning development for city-port areas, environmental issues and sustainability, etc," says Mr Lemaire. "Twenty years later, we believe port cities now have a real tool for efficient benchmarking to help them develop their own projects."
One of the essential parts of IACP is the information department it has managed from the start - the most important in the world on city-port projects, he says. Information and contacts are regularly provided for academics, experts, journalists and consulting companies, as well as IACP members.
Today, says Mr Lemaire, sustainability is the most important issue and challenge for port city developments. "The lack of space for port development; the need for the sustainable city (increasingly so, with the cost of petroleum) to concentrate and attract people to the central city district instead of developing suburb areas; and the need for new logistics areas in order to create new employment - all of these have to be done through a common port-city vision, through the same project.
"That means that port authorities and local communities have to speak together even more. I think that representatives of port-city authorities are now conscious that it's important and essential to find new solutions in order to 'plan the city with the port', if I refer to one of our most recent international studies."
As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations this year, IACP has published a book about the port city with more than 500 photographs provided by IACP members from all over the world. Its title - Portcities 13h28 GMT - reflects the fact that "at the same time, everywhere in the world, something wonderful is happening in the port city", says Mr Lemaire.
IACP's team is getting ready to move to new offices under construction in the city-port interface of Le Havre - in an old warehouse. "When completed, those offices will facilitate our work; it will be much easier to welcome visitors, experts and students looking for information or training," he says.
And there is, he says, plenty still to be done. "We want to develop the international network, especially in developing countries like China and India. As a non-profit association, IACP has to help less developed countries in their city-port development.
"And we continue to promote sustainable development for port cities. That means finding new solutions to save the common space and to share it in order to be a better and competitive port, as well as an attractive port city with new amenities."
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