Integrating urban and port planning policies in a sustainable perspective: the case study of Naples historic harbour area

This paper explores the case of the historic harbour area of Naples, considered highly significant, due to its physical and cultural characteristics, with the aim of reflecting on the contemporary need for building renewed and synergic city–port relations in a sustainable perspective. Focusing on the physical and functional city–port integration, the study investigates Naples harbour planning policy between twentieth and twenty-first centuries in order to identify the limitations of older instruments and to exam the current proposal, finally suggesting perspectives for the future. The analysis highlights the fact that, in the port of Naples, with a landlord governance, the main obstacles to a more inclusive planning policy have been related to land use conflict between on one hand the public interest of the Port Authority and Municipality and the private interest of port operators on the other. In conclusion, the need for city–port plan integration is outlined as a central planning issue so as to combine the economic development of the harbour with social, cultural and ecological themes and to overcome the conflicts between the different actors involved in the complex planning process.