OB PORTUS

This research argues that nature has the potential to integrate the traditionally irreconcilable relationship between port and city. Rather than viewing the port and city as opposing categories, the study proposes an integrated perspective where both entities can coexist through the inclusion of an environmental dimension. The thesis redefines the port—historically seen as an industrial, mechanical, and polluting infrastructure—and positions it as an environmental infrastructure, enabled by new technologies and landscape-oriented planning.

The research introduces a novel approach to port-city planning that transcends their traditional dichotomy and replaces conventional notions of port renovation from the late 20th century. Inspired by Brian S. Hoyle’s concept of the interface, the study redefines this transitional space as a “field of strategic interaction” among port, city, and nature. This approach promotes the organic integration of natural systems, which support new collective programs and mixed uses by treating visible and invisible natural flows as part of a unified territorial metabolism.

Focusing on the American continent, the research highlights the unique geographic and ecological potential for regenerating port city coastlines. Through six selected American port cities (Toronto, San Francisco, Boston, Buenos Aires, Manaus, and Montevideo), it analyzes the evolution of the port-city-nature relationship. Additionally, the study reinterprets Hoyle’s model for the American context, adding nature as a third critical component. Finally, theoretical-operational tools—referred to as "keys"—are identified to guide future interventions in port areas, incorporating the environmental dimension as a core criterion for reconnecting port and city.