Integration of Land and Sea in a Port Area: A Case Study of the Port of Koper

Abstract

The spatial plan for a port based on land reclamation, existing land, or a combination of both should be designed in line with both reliable data for the existing situation and precise goals based on a well-founded vision by the port authority. In ports, human activities are concentrated in the limited space of the coastal belt, where they threaten the vulnerable equilibrium of the environment. Integrated multifunctional planning of ports is necessary for the sustainability of such plans. In this process, the relation between the environment and the economy is often neglected because the ecosystem—the totality of living organisms—which is fully dependent on biological, chemical, and physical factors, prevails. This method, also called building with nature, is the basis for integrated coastal zone development and management. It emphasizes the flexible integration of land and sea, which respects and uses forces and materials present in nature, and which is an essential interaction between man and environment. Strict ecological planning conditions and the public interest obliged the Port of Koper to modify its urban planning strategies and redefine its relationship with all bordering areas. The extension of two piers and construction of a third one was the result of functional factors, infrastructure connections, technical possibilities, and environmental requirements. Solutions that were relevant for distributing cargo on the docks had to adjust to the width of the basins for manoeuvring ships. Various types of construction restrict water flow under piers, thereby accelerating biomass degradation. Environmental aspects created conditions and requirements for pier construction.