New Approaches to Port-City Planning: Contemporary Projects and Forward-Looking Strategies

Kristina SALOMAA

Land Use Planning Manager

PORT OF HELSINKI LTD

Kristina Salomaa works as the Land Use Planning Manager at Port of Helsinki Ltd. In her work, she promotes the port's extensive development program and, consequently, the zoning projects related to different parts of the port. She works in close cooperation with various organizations of the City of Helsinki and internally as an expert in project teams. Her work emphasizes aligning the goals of the port and the city, as well as ensuring the operational conditions of the port at different levels of land use planning. 

Maria Rosario SOTO RICO

Presidenta

AUTORIDAD PORTUARIA DE ALMERIA

María del Rosario Soto Rico has been president of the Almería Port Authority, which manages the ports of Almería and Carboneras, since September 2022. She has a degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Granada, having studied at the University of Strasbourg (France) as an Erasmus student in 1998, where she obtained a scholarship to study at the European Parliament. Her interest in knowledge and specialization led her to complete various master's degrees in Marketing and International Trade, Human Resources Management, and Occupational Risk Prevention in both Spain and the United Kingdom. She has also completed the Advanced Course in Social Security and Labor Law at the Center for Financial Studies in Madrid and doctoral courses in Social Psychology and Social Security and Labor Law.

Her work in public administration began in 2003 as Councilor for Equality, Youth, Health, and Consumer Affairs in the City Council of Almería, where she continued until 2012 as Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Social Services and Equality. She was subsequently a senator for the Autonomous Community of Andalusia in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th legislatures and a member of the Andalusian Parliament in the 9th legislature.

Deborah ONGA

Chief Commercial Officer

PNG PORTS CORPORATION LTD.

Deborah Michelle Onga currently serves as the Chief Commercial Officer of PNG Ports Corporation Limited, a State-Owned Enterprise, overseeing 15 of Papua New Guinea’s key port facilities. With over a decade of experience in law, corporate governance, maritime, logistics, property, and hospitality, Deborah brings a rare combination of legal acuity and commercial foresight.

Deborah is leading the Corporation’s landmark commercialization strategy, with a strong focus on transforming port land assets and unlocking the economic potential of the Lae Industrial Park — a national infrastructure priority for Papua New Guinea. Her mandate directly supports PNG Ports’ long-term vision to position Lae as a regional logistics and industrial hub, making her a key voice in global port development dialogues. 

Sophie MINSSART

Responsable des programmes immobiliers

NANTES SAINT-NAZAIRE PORT

Sophie Minssart is an architect and urban planner. For 28 years at the Agence d’urbanisme de la région nazairienne (ADDRN), she supported the evolving relationship between the city, the port, and the wider territory through major rehabilitation, conversion, and urban regeneration projects. She notably contributed to the conversion of the submarine base, the transformation of the port and maritime district, and the redevelopment of the seafront in Saint-Nazaire, as well as to the revitalization of the historic and port districts of Redon.

As Head of Real Estate Programs within the Property Division of Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port, she now works on enhancing and transforming port land located in the heart of cities, in order to sustainably renew the value of port property assets and support their integration into urban dynamics. She is certified in the AIVP Sustainable Port Cities course program (2024). 

Moderator

Francesca PINTUS

Associate Director

ONE WORKS SPA

 Francesca is an architect and urban designer specialising in sustainable masterplanning, resilient infrastructure and place-led development. With more than 14 years' international experience, she has delivered complex urban design and masterplanning projects spanning residential, healthcare, higher education, commercial and mixed-use developments. Her work focuses on creating flexible, sustainable frameworks that balance environmental performance, economic viability and community wellbeing. Francesca brings particular expertise in integrating large-scale infrastructure into wider urban contexts, helping create places that are both resilient and people-centred. She is a LEED Accredited Professional in Neighbourhood Development (LEED AP ND) and a BREEAM Communities Assessor, with a strong passion for designing healthy, future-ready cities.