Introduction
Gdańsk, perched at the confluence of the Vistula River and the Baltic Sea, has been an important shipbuilding and trade port since the early Middle Ages. As ships outgrew the historic docks, the old waterfront fell into disuse and ecological strain. Today’s lecture, “Port to City,” explores how Gdańsk is reversing that trend—reclaiming industrial terrain and reintegrating it as vibrant public space for residents.
In the Młode Miasto district, pioneering landscape architects and urban planners have transformed former shipyard lands into mixed-use neighborhoods, blending heritage warehouses with green corridors and flood-resilient infrastructure. This Gdańsk model balances cultural preservation, ecological restoration, and community access, offering a blueprint for post-industrial waterfronts worldwide