The process will begin with the Port System Strategic Planning Document
Venice, 18 April 2024 – The process of drafting the two port master plans (PRPs) for the lagoon ports of Venice and Chioggia has begun. The drafting of the two master plans for the Veneto’s port system was long overdue and is crucial to achieve a shared definition of a vision for its future development: the Port of Venice’s current master plan dates back to 1965 for the area of Porto Marghera area, to 1908 for the areas located in Venice’s historic centre and 1981 for Chioggia.
The working group – consisting of experts representing the Port System Authority and the temporary grouping of companies that includes Rina, StudioPaolaViganò, Acquatecno and Mtbs – will initially focus on defining the Port System Strategic Planning Document (that must be completed by 2024 and approved in early 2025) and will then proceed to draft the two separate Port Master Plans for Venice and Chioggia.
The activities timeline stretches over 18 months, in addition to the time needed for the administrative permission process (inter-departmental conferences, understandings, SEAs and site impact assessments), and the involvement of the Veneto Region, the municipalities of Venice, Chioggia, Cavallino Treporti, and Mira (some of which already signed preparatory agreements to the Port System Strategic Planning Document between 2020 and 2022) will be fundamental.
The President of AdSPMAS, Fulvio Lino Di Blasio, has stated: ‘We intend to proceed with great determination, set out on a concrete path and provide an answer to the numerous requests from our operators who want to work with us to build the future of the port, in tune with market trends and the evolution of our difficult context. The internationally renowned companies that make up the team will work in close contact with the Authority’s technical staff. They will also rely on the major and valuable scientific contribution of Rome’s La Sapienza University, which has specific expertise in drafting port master plans. Our aim and guiding principle is to work to boost growth and efficiency of port and logistics activities, to contribute to fully enhance the port, dry port and transition areas to the communities, based on a sustainable development vision that will be fully shared with the institutions, stakeholders and beneficiaries of this process’.
The Port Master Plan
The Port Master Plan is governed by the national legislation on Ports and Port System Authorities (Law 84/94 and subsequent amendments and additions). It is considered to be of national relevance and is the only legal tool available for planning and governing the relevant territory, i.e. the port area defined by the delimited by the Port System Strategic Planning Document (if approved) or by the previous Port Master Plan. The more recent Law 156/2021 introduced further important novelties in port system planning: it states that the Port System Strategic Planning Document is the document that defines, amongst others, development objectives, port perimeter, port areas, dry port areas and port-city transition areas, in addition to last-mile infrastructural connections (e.g. roads and railways as well as crossings in urban centres). The Master Plan refers to the Port System Strategic Planning Document to identify characteristics and functions of port areas.
The Port System Strategic Planning Document and the Master Plan approval process
The five stages for approving the Port System Strategic Planning Document are: adoption by the management committee; inter-departmental conference with the municipalities involved; understanding with the Veneto Region; receiving the opinion of the national coordinating conference of Port Authorities; subsequent approval by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. As of today, 8 national authorities have approved their Port System Strategic Planning Document and another 8 (including the Veneto Authority) have started the process of drafting the document. As to the Master Plan, once it has been adopted by the management committee, it will be necessary to seek the opinion of the Municipalities and the Region for adjacent areas, in addition to the opinion of the High Council of Public Works and Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, complete the SEA and site impact assessments procedures, followed by their approval by the management committee.
The temporary partnership:
RINA is a multinational inspection, certification and engineering consultancy company, providing a wide range of services in the Energy, Marine, Infrastructure & Mobility, Certification, Industry and Real Estate sectors.
STUDIOPAOLAVIGANO’ deals with prospective territorial studies and visions, spatial and landscape planning, urban and public space projects, and architecture in different European and international contexts. Since 2015, the firm has been working on the ecological and social transition of cities, landscapes and territories by designing urban and territorial projects and realising public spaces in Europe.
ACQUATECNO works in the field of maritime works and the environment. Its main activity is tuned to maritime hydraulics studies, mathematical modelling of incident wave and coastal transport, port planning, engineering works design, environmental studies as well as environmental monitoring plans, and finally project management and safety coordination during design and execution.
MTBS is a Dutch maritime and port consulting company with a strong presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. MTBS’s mission is to offer clients the best, high-quality business solutions. MTBS is the global market leader in ports and terminals, including logistics centres, inland ports, free zones, export processing zones, inland waterways and related transport companies and stakeholders.