Blue Space Networks in Port Cities

Understanding the role of bluespace in port cities: Investigating the application of a spatial typological matrix.

The notion of bluespace in urban planning and design discourse is relatively new, as is a whole-systems approach to considering water spaces as integral to overall city form and the urban experience of citizens. This research investigated the role of blue spaces in port cities, delineating the critical relationship bluespace has to traditional green and grey urban spaces. 

This research drew insights from history and past research into port cities by Diane Brand. Working with Diane, we applied urban design theory to maritime technologies and environments to reveal a new genre of port and harbour types. We developed and tested our concept of a sea-to-land continuum using a matrix that defines urban space types across scales, graduating from sea to city. Case studies of the western port cities of Auckland and Oslo supported the research. Insights from past TUA study tours and our interdisciplinary expertise in architecture, urban design and civil engineering added value to this research. 

This research highlights how bluespace typologies are important spatial elements of post-industrial port cities, particularly at the sea-to-land interface. As the regeneration of port cities continues through the post-industrial era, this research provides a framework for analysis which can add precision to the effective design of interstitial spaces on urban waterfronts. This work reiterated the relevance of blue spaces, and using the typology matrix opens up the possibility for designing new types of space that blur the lines between blue and urban categorisations.