New perspectives for the ‘Barcelona model’ and proposals for the regeneration of the waterfront of Naples

Abstract

he redevelopment of Barcelona’s waterfront has been among the most studied and   acclaimed in the last 30 years.
It can be referred to as the “Barcelona model” and to this day it still influences debate and urban practice in the planning of coastal cities and in the urban renewal of the port areas.
After 30 years the first dissenting opinions have arisen, highlighting some negative aspects: gentrification, loss of identity, anonymous public spaces and globalized architectural language. Port Vell, one of the first cases of redevelopment, shows the ravages of time.
We propose to consider a vaster vision of the Catalan experience, starting with the development policies of the 1970s, which brought to the fore the public private partnerships that made Barcelona a center for tourism and congresses.
After years of immobility and compulsory administration, the port of Naples is undergoing an interesting phase of planning and a renewed bond with the city, based on the implementation of the D.lgs. 169/2016 and on the institution of a single Port System Authority for the port-cities of Naples, Salerno and Castellammare di Stabia.
This renewal has brought our attention once more to unresolved issues in the urban debate: historic port, waterfront, city-port relationship, urban regeneration.  
The comparative analysis of these two case studies aims to determine which elements of the “Barcelona model” are still valid and can apply to the case of Naples.