The Harbour at Viana Do Castello: Planning in a Vacuum
John R. Mullin, University of Massachusetts and Zenia Kotval, Michigan State University
DATE: January 1996
SOURCE: European Planning Studies, vol4, no2, pp. 131-146
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ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT:
This final peer reviewed version of the article is reprinted with permission from Routledge Journals/Taylor & Francis.
ABSTRACT:
Harbour communities across Europe and the US are in the midst of major changes. Shifting trade regulations, declining supplies of fish, the rise of recreational boating and new shipping technologies have all contributed to these changes. In response, communities are undertaking major planning efforts to ensure that their harbours remain functional and prosperous. One example of this effort is the Port of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. The thesis of this paper is that unless small and medium sized harbours have a strong and planned sense of direction, they will suffer an economic decline and lose their historic and cultural character.