Overview
Connecting Citizen Ports 21 (CCP21) brings together 7 major inland ports and intends to promote connectivity and sustainable transport by optimising the organisation of freight logistics and sustainable spatial development of inland ports in North West Europe (NWE). Water transport is the most sustainable, reliable and safe means of transport for freight.
CCP21 wants to contribute to more sustainable transport by optimising the organisation of freight logistics and strengthening the position of inland ports. Inland ports are the nodes in the transport chain, where freight and passengers are being transferred and economic added value is realised. Strengthening and enlarging the capacity of the nodes. will enlarge the efficient use of the existing network.
NWE’s dense and well developed network of inland waterways has a large unused potential because the capacity and use of inland ports is limited. The location of inland ports in cities offers opportunities for new logistic and spatial concepts, such as city distribution, regional container shipment and multipurpose land use. Nevertheless, inland ports are under pressure. Connecting them to the EU waterways network and competing in the global logistic market demands increase of scale of ports.
Secondly inland ports receive fierce competition from other urban functions for the limited space available at the waterside. Cities and citizens are not aware (anymore) of the presence and role of their inland port. To achieve smart growth, the CCP21-partners work together on optimising inland ports as nodal points to be an integrated part of the EU transport chains and to be sustainable and physically integrated in the urban fabric.
This integral approach is represented by the 4 objectives:
- Increase the awareness and acceptability of inland ports.
- Promote cohabitation through innovative multipurpose land use.
- Optimise the organisation of freight logistics.
- Promote sustainable city distribution.
Funding
Results
CCP21 Partners have been collaborating to achieve results in the context of each objective. Through various studies, tools, infrastructure works and communication activities, the project has increased the awareness and acceptability of inland ports, promoted cohabitation through innovative and multipurpose land use, improved the organisation of freight logistics and promoted sustainable city distribution. The project results include: - An ICT tool that improves the level of cooperation between different inland ports. - An awareness and acceptability strategy that increases the image of inland ports towards citizens. - A visualisation tool that shows the benefits of inland waterway transport in an attractive way for the general public. - Infrastructures that combine port activities with (semi-)public spaces, which legitimizes port activities in urban areas and city centres and improves the economic performance within and for the city, improves connectivity and contributes to the modal shift. - The construction of a multimodal urban logistic platform that helps to reduce the burden of economic, commercial and transport activities on the environment. - The construction of a multipurpose vessel for city distribution that that contributes to the modal shift.