About us

Who are we?

PortCityFutures is a Netherlands-based research initiative that studies the complex relationships between ports, cities, and their wider regions. These territories emerge at key intersections of land and water, where people, goods, and ideas continuously circulate. Ports and their infrastructures form globally connected industrial complexes, yet they must coexist with urban neighborhoods, natural landscapes, and regional economies. This proximity creates unique spatial challenges—and opportunities—for shared futures.

Anchored in the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus University Alliance, PortCityFutures brings together expertise from diverse disciplines to investigate how port, city, and region can evolve together. The program uses interdisciplinary methods and long-term perspectives to connect political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of spatial use. It explores how the flows generated by port activities intersect with hydraulic engineering, spatial planning, urban design, architecture, and heritage. By examining the competing demands of port development and urban growth, PortCityFutures develops scenarios and design approaches that consider both present pressures and future transformations.

More information at: https://www.portcityfutures.nl/home