Since the 1990s, several port cities have embarked on long-term transformations of their waterfronts and former industrial port lands, some still unfolding today. In Bilbao, a dedicated public company (Bilbao Ría 2000) led the recovery of former industrial and rail sites across the estuary, from Abandoibarra to Barakaldo, over more than three decades. In Bordeaux, the construction of the Bassins à Flot district went through fifteen years of negotiated planning between the city, the metropolitan authority, and the port, to preserve ship repair activity and industrial heritage alongside housing, culture, and public space. In Marseille, land strategy at the port-city interface unfolded over two decades, from 2005 to today, shaping how the city and its port share and repurpose land over time. All of them navigated economic downturns, shifting political priorities, and tensions between competing uses, while sustaining a shared vision between port and city authorities. This session looks back at these journeys, examining the land strategies, governance tools, and negotiation methods that allowed them to endure, and drawing practical lessons for today’s port-city transformations.
