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1 INTRODUCTION
The definition of a modern port city has evolved. With
the growing demand for the distribution of goods for
individuals, corporations and industries, the logistics
structures of ports try to meet those. The increased
presence of components in the management,
maintenance, construction and operation systems
affects the future directions of port development [1].
Modern approaches show that optimization and
modernization of only some elements of the structure,
for example the automation of the cargo handling
process in seaports, may create more functional,
performance-oriented, effective and safe solutions
[2].
In the functional core of a port city, we can find
multiple types of different building structures that are
placed in defined location zones. The relationships
between these areas of influence are often closed. Their
functioning also requires monitoring and assessment
of dynamic units that use the infrastructure, the impact
of which should also be considered in terms of use in
sea-land connections [3]. The implementation of port
structures automation in all areas is increasing year by
year. In order to address this major challenge,
coordinated actions are needed to define a global
system based on the autonomy of systems [4]. This
refers to the aspect of optimizing complex technical
systems.
Port cities, as the name defines, apart from their
industrial and service character, are places to live. Land
management policies depend on numerous factors [5],
where the control and implementation of land use are
regulated by an increasingly complex and bureaucratic
system of adaptive planning.
As investigations in coastal cities show, the port
system and the city system are interconnected [6]. Due
to the organizational plan of the port city, management
may result in a decrease of efficiency, although in some
cases an increase of prosperity of the urban
Spatial Development of Modern Port Structure
and Sustainable Urban Growth within Multifunctional
Organization
M. Gerigk
Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
ABSTRACT: Modern port city areas face enormous opportunities due to their coastal location. The possibility of
integrating water area into a city area highlights the issue of spatial planning. It is obvious that such locations
allow for the development of industrial and port infrastructure. But the major question is how these areas should
develop in terms of architecture and urban planning. The aim of the paper is to define the design parameters for
maritime areas in the context of the modern city, as well as with regard to sustainable development of these
structures. The analysis of modern port centres allows for indicating the directions of development in the pursuit
of expansion into water areas. The scale of modern commercial and industrial structure may become dominant,
and sometimes even limit the multidirectional development of the city. However, the key issue is how to design
these areas in the future, also in relation to the social perspective.
http://www.transnav.eu
the International Journal
on Marine Navigation
and Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 19
Number 2
June 2025
DOI: 10.12716/1001.19.02.13
442
agglomeration is visible. From a global perspective
point of view, the urban environment strives for
development in all areas.
A comprehensive approach to the sustainable
development of the port-city complex areas should be
defined by the perspective of multiple port
stakeholders [7], as well as the social, economic and
political structure of the city [8]. Relying on the
direction of the main policy to limit the external growth
of the agglomeration and at the same time maintain
economic growth involves many dependencies
between the entities creating the entire structure.
Furthermore, such a synergistic relationship should be
directed in all ways towards the defined fundamental
criteria, including aesthetics, functionality,
environmental protection, system security, system
efficiency and functional flexibility [9]. The highest
correlated values create the idea of environmental
sustainability. Therefore, building a design structure of
a given region should include these basics and also
lead to detailed definition of other elements at lower
levels that would be applicable to the above.
2 RESEARCH METHOD
The form presented in this paper is defined by
fundamental research based on a literature review and
an analytical approach to the problem. The definition
of this work outcome is the sum of conceptual research,
in which many interconnected elements provide a
complete overview of the problem scale. Defining the
elements of spatial development, such as the functional
structure of the city and the functional structure of the
seaport, it is possible to present the current state of
knowledge. Analysis of existing structures of port
cities allows defining key features regarding the
functional impact of the port on the city system.
Moreover, defining growth trends allows us to assess
which problems can be solved at the conceptual design
stage of such facilities. Consequently, in order to
counteract undesirable and destructive effects, an
appropriate organizational model is defined.
Figure 1. Diagram of the impact of the port structure on the
environment [by M. Gerigk, 2025].
The inclusion of the main elements of the
environment system is crucial to properly position the
role of the port and to show the directions of influence
that create relationships between these elements. As
shown in Figure 1, the port is a central element of the
natural environment, maritime area and city structure,
where the overlapping sets are characterized by their
basic motives of existence in order to create
equilibrium. Therefore, the main question is how the
port can be formed to maintain the most neutral
influence towards its surroundings, referring to
environmental protection, efficient distribution of
transport and social approach to urban management.
3 SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT OF WATER AREAS
3.1 Functional structure of the city
Urban structure is defined by numerous elements.
Over the years, urban form developed in various ways.
The way it is shaped is related to the dynamics of its
development depended on many factors, including
defence, trade, strategic planning, manufacturing, etc.
However, nowadays, thanks to advanced forms of
spatial planning, it is possible to manage the city in a
very precise way, and this can be done regardless of
location. The significance of a city is based on its size
and composition. In the case of small cities, the increase
in size may cause the acquisition of regional
importance, while large cities may gain significance
through the growth of regional and international
network connections [10]. The composition of a city
depends on the placement of its inner elements, as well
as on the structure of its geographical location. The
analysis of the relationships between the elements of a
city can be done with a spatial representation. For
example, comparing sketches of road, water and tram
transport can be a point of reference for creating a
graph [11] that allows for evaluating the performance
of connections in a defined network.
The structure of the city’s land management is
defined by land-use categories [12]. Figure 2 presents a
diagram of urban land-use categories, where the city
structure concentrates them and coordinates the
relationships between categories. The main categories
of functional land types are as follows: multifamily and
residential, public utility, retail and commercial,
industrial, institutional and public, recreational,
natural environment, transportation, and seaport.
Figure 2. Diagram of the functional structure of the city [by
M. Gerigk, 2025].
3.2 Functional structure of the seaport
Port cities are a reflection of the sectors of the economy,
in which the impact of intensive growth in modern
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days can be observed. The distribution of goods is
related to the nearby urban structures of the port,
where the operating logistic system transfers goods to
in-place end users or to external logistics distribution
centres. The supply chain around large urban centres
relies on various means of transport and various
building structures. As a specified element of the city
in the form of an urban land designated for a port, it
should be characterized by the way it operates as a
local main distribution centre, where the functioning of
which is optimized for the distribution of goods and
services. Moreover, the operation of such a facility
depends on the arrangement of buildings and technical
devices in a given location. Their efficiency of
connections is based on the organization of transport,
which allows the delivery of goods towards land
routes or vice versa to overseas destinations.
Figure 3. Diagram of the functional structure of the port [by
M. Gerigk, 2025].
Within the development of port areas, the following
types of structures, presented in Figure 3, can be
distinguished: harbour form, maritime transportation,
road transportation, rail transportation, pipeline
transportation, inland water transportation, logistics
facilities, shipyard facilities, complementary service
and support. Maritime, road and rail facilities include
the means of transport associated with them.
Considering design issues, it would be necessary to
determine the framework limiting the overall
structure. This would be of key importance for the
organization of urban shoreline.
3.3 Location and conditions of economic geography
There is a tendency to build more land-water
structures as a consequence of spatial constraints of a
given city location. Such activities concern many
stakeholders [13]. The basic conditions of a port city
depend on the geographical and natural structure, and
then on the overall investment outcome, i.e., the entire
built environment with infrastructure, and finally on
the intensification of human operational activities. The
development of a given port centre is determined by
many factors, for example the historical factor, where
the development of infrastructure for many years
depended on territorial ownership and the
intensification of activities, whether service or
economic. The emplacement of a port in the existing
city structure can show important features that define
the way this structure works. The schemes below
present several examples of the city structures in light
grey and the locations of ports in dark grey.
a) b)
c)
Figure 4. Port infrastructures: a) in Gdynia, Poland, b) in
Naples, Italy, c) in Singapore [by M. Gerigk, 2025].
As shown in Figure 4, the location of the port
relative to the city can be diverse. In Figure 4. a) the
inland location of port is shown. The advantages of
such a location are that the waterline of the city is larger
than the port structure. This affects the entire industrial
zone, which must be organized in a concentrated
manner. The reverse solution is presented in Figure 4.
b) where a port composition is parallel to the
waterline, which limits access to the sea. When
analysing examples of the organization of port
structures, it is worth choosing cities that are
characterized by the ongoing development in size. In
Figure 4. c), the port structure of Singapore is
configured so that it covers half of the area on the ocean
side. In addition, industrial structures reach out to the
outer islands, which create an exceptionally large area
of influence in the region with extensive industrial and
production facilities.
a) b)
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c)
Figure 5. a) Port infrastructure in Los Angeles, USA, b) Port
infrastructure in Shanghai, China, c) Port infrastructure in
Rotterdam, Netherlands [by M. Gerigk, 2025].
Analysis of examples allows to visualize different
configurations of port locations in relation to the main
urban centre. The Los Angeles City agglomeration,
presented in figure 5. a), relies on a sea distribution
located at a considerable distance from the main city
structure, despite the potential coastline located much
closer. Such a composition results in avoiding
unnecessary transport communication within the
urban centre, but the overall structure is typical, as it
contains elements of the mainland and an extension
towards the sea.
Shanghai, shown in Figure 5. b), as the world’s
biggest port, has one of the largest port services areas.
Regarding the scale, these objects may slightly separate
the city from the water. It is worth emphasizing the
location of two island of the container terminal in the
southeast of the city, several dozen kilometres away,
which are connected by a bridge. This solution
completely eliminates the impact of water transport on
the urban centre because the only connection is road
transport between lands.
The port of Rotterdam, which is the largest port in
Europe, has an interesting form of evolution presented
in Figure 5. c). The former port located in the very
centre of the city is situated in the river delta at some
distance from the ocean. However, with the progress of
development, it turned out to be insufficient and began
to cover larger and larger areas along the delta. At the
current stage of development, a platform on the water
was created in the form of an artificial island, which
significantly increased the port’s capacity due to its
size. In addition, easy access to sea transport and
distribution routes results from the peripherality in
relation to the city.
Figure 6. Port infrastructure in Tokyo Bay, Japan [by M.
Gerigk, 2025].
Figure 6. presents part of Tokyo Bay. This example
shows the layout of the port in Tokyo with several
interconnected urban centres around, which have an
extensive port infrastructure. The linear development
and the connection of many agglomerations resulted in
the significantly limited access to water areas from
urban areas. This effect is eliminated by building a
large number of artificial islands for industrial and
urban purposes. The formation of a buffer layer
between the land and water areas, as well as the
reduction of the bay area is clearly noticeable.
However, with such a large form of industrialized area,
there is an elevated risk of environmental pollution.
3.4 Spatial development of water areas
Water areas can be incorporated as an integral part of
the city. Considering the possibilities of expansion on
water, it is greatly beneficial for the urban centre.
Figure 7. presents the current map of Gdańsk. The
administrative boundaries of the city previously
included only the land structure. What is new is that
this area now also includes water areas. The area
covered by the city has doubled. For the developing
transshipment centre, this is a motivation for better
management and expansion of the existing port
structure.
Figure 7. Administrative boundaries of the city of Gdańsk,
Poland [14].
Figure 8. Port infrastructure in Gdańsk, Poland [by M.
Gerigk, 2025].
The Gdańsk agglomeration is spreading
asymmetrically. In Figure 8, the shape of the city is
marked in light grey. The port area in dark grey is
located in the central part of the coastline of the city.
The port structure is well-developed and arranged in a
compact manner. The port infrastructure reaches all
the way to the city centre, which creates extremely
favourable conditions for creating a local distribution
centre. At the same time, container transport has a
favourable road and rail connection, which bypasses
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most of the city area. In recent years, there has been a
significant evolution of investments in the logistics
support structures and the container terminal [15]. In
order not to interfere with recreational areas, the new
terminal was located at a distance from the beach. In
Figure 8, the square shape in purple shows the next
stage of expansion of the container terminal, which is
currently under construction. This investment will
increase the cargo handling capacity by half. Regional
market conditions of the offshore industry
conformation suggests that if the port infrastructure is
to be efficient, it should also be organized with
reference to the entire urban structure.
4 REORGANIZATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL
STRUCTURE
As a consequence of the spatial constraints of a given
city location, there is a tendency to build more land and
water port structures. However, the provision of this
expansion should be limited by the functional and
spatial values of the city. Exposure to water should be
ensured for other functions, especially for recreational
and natural areas. Figure 9 presents a diagram of the
port extension area. The port area should occupy the
smallest possible urban space and the city should have
access to a free water area, from which only the water
transport lane is separated. The connection between
the port and the city should be ensured by
multifunctional structures, as this facility should
provide support for all land movements. The
compactness of the entire solution would depend on
this. Moreover, the land communication route should
reach the city borders as quickly as possible.
Figure 9. Diagram of the port expansion area [by M. Gerigk,
2025].
a)
b)
Figure 10. a) The area of the port of Gdańsk with current
structures, b) Scheme of the reorganization of the area of the
port of Gdańsk [by M. Gerigk, 2025].
The proposed development structure is presented
using the example of the city of Gdańsk. Figure 10. a)
shows the current state of the port area. In a short
distance from this area, towards the city centre, multi-
family and public utility buildings are being built. This
dynamic development would shift industrial and
seaport structures due to land prices. Hence the need
for new building structures, the new configuration,
unlike the previous one, can be prepared for modern
type of structures and standards. The construction of
the external port is shown in Figure 10. b). The
gradation of grey colours shows the stages of
development into the water area. At the same time, it
shows the withdrawal of industrial facilities from
urban areas, enabling revitalisation. The new port
structure is connected by a multimodal transport route
with the multifunctional facility (marked in red on the
scheme).
Figure 11. Flow chart of the genetic algorithm focused on
consolidating the process of designing a multifunctional
structure to improve the port city [by M. Gerigk, 2025].
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The main goal of this new structure is to improve
the performance of the port and at the same time make
the city a better place to live. Considering modern
technologies, this system can be created as a
reconfigurable structure. Figure 11 presents a genetic
algorithm focused on consolidating the process of
designing a multifunctional port structure. The
improvement of the structure is possible by controlling
the built elements of the system and assessing their
influence on the system’s performance. Each
completed project would be defined by a Building
Information Modelling workflow and measured by
Building Performance Evaluation. This type of process
management is also directed towards improving
standards.
5 CONCLUSIONS
The presented results show the solution of the problem
of modernization of the city port structure from an
architectural point of view. Different scenarios of
development of modern port structures indicate that
their expansion is mainly directed towards water areas.
This development brings negative effects to the
environment and to the people living in these cities.
The extensive growth of port structures and occupying
an increasingly longer coastline can bring urban chaos
and naturally increased pollution. The expansion of a
container terminal in one direction could save the
coastline for the benefit of urban centres. This type of
extensive construction is implied in many ports, but
their growth is organic rather than controlled. It is
important to define the crucial elements of the system
to create a modern multimodal centre. Moreover, the
proposed design approach defines the connection of
the main port structure with the land. The
considerations in the paper include importance of
transforming the container terminal into a multi-level
logistics centre. The paper comprehensively defines
the most important systemic design elements related to
the development of water city areas for the coexistence
of industrial, logistics, residential and public utility
structures. Further considerations should include the
improvement of logistics operations in the local
structures by providing autonomous means of local
transport. The presented design structure could be a
system with automated transfer of diverse types of
goods. Water areas can satisfy potential growth of a
city. Port facilities should be designed in a compact and
optimized manner. There is a vast diversity of port
shapes around the world, and perhaps standardization
in the design of such structures could benefit the
management of traditional and autonomous fleets.
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