Introduction

The current layout of the port of Naples has its origins in the end of the nineteenth century and subsequent decades. The construction of new spaces and new wharves has led to the present day operational area stretching from the ancient San Vincenzo Wharf in the west to the New Eastern Dockyard in the east.
The new regulatory plan of the port area recently compiled by the Port Authority takes account of this situation and has based the new urban plan of the port on this existing structure
The new regulatory plan covers the entire port area from La Pietra in the west to Pietrarsa in the east.
The original nucleus of the port extended from the area facing the castle of Maschio Angioino and the Royal Palace. The only parts of the original layout to survive today are the San Vincenzo Wharf, the Acton Dry dock and the Angioino Wharf, transformed during the construction of the Harbour Station which has gradually led to the layout of the modern port.
The new plan (the old one dates back to 1958) is designed to be a “flexible” instrument as regards the use of port spaces, and as a rationalisation and transformation plan of the operational areas and maritime traffic.
The port of Naples is unusual in that it is one of the few ports in the world not to have been dismantled and transferred to other areas of the city or regional activity sectors. It has therefore been more complex to redesign its urban layout even though it has proved more interesting reorganising an area where all port functions continue to exist, from passengers, to coastal navigation, to commercial activities in its various forms from traffic in goods, oil and containers.

The Philosophy

The new regulatory plan confirms the multifunctional nature of the port of Naples as a resource: cruise liners, shipyards for nautical repairs and commercial traffic are the sectors into which the port’s economic activity is divided. Beginning from this important premise, the plan has been designed to cover a period of not longer than 10-15 years and indicates the San Vincenzo Wharf to the west and the Nuova Darsena dock to the east as the strong points of the programme to transform the port.
The so-called “wings” of the port refer to the two places situated on the edge of the port area where the most wide-ranging an significant transformation work will be undertaken to modify, rationalise, and organise the spaces and functions of the port of Naples. This strategy is based on an important assumption, namely that the port of Naples has identified the cruise line and commercial sectors as the strong points of its economic activity, as is demonstrated by the data for traffic in recent years: + 35% from 1996 to 1999 in the container traffic sector, + 150% from 1996 to 1999 in the cruise line traffic sector, + 18% from 1996 to 1999 in the sector regarding the traffic in commercial goods. Directing attention on the “wings” means strengthening the two areas on which the future of container and cruise line traffic depends. Above all, it means equipping the port for new market challenges.

Another objective of the plan is to create a system of landing places for pleasure boats and yachts which meets the pressing need for mooring places for boats and equipment along the whole coastline of the city of Naples.

The choices

Passenger area: this includes cruise liners, passenger traffic in the bay of Naples and to the islands and coastal navigation. It is situated in the western zone of the city in the old centre. The main point of the plan is the renewal and conversion of the ancient San Vincenzo Wharf (which dates back to the fifteenth century) to a quay for mooring cruise liners and large yachts. In the future the aim is to use the San Vincenzo Wharf for tourism by taking advantage of its position, the spectacular nature of the area and the natural walk which stretches for 1 km 800 metres. Cruise liner traffic will also be expanded in the area of the Harbour Station with the construction of two pennants on Angioino Wharf. Passenger traffic will continue to allocated to Beverello Wharf but it will also be extended to the Piliero. Immacolatella Vecchia Wharf has been lengthened and is destined to be used as a terminal for coastal navigation.

Shipyard area: this includes industrial ship repair facilities of substantial proportions and a series of about 60 workshops scattered over the port area. The new regulatory plan locates ship repairs in the central port area (wet docks and Marinella quay) as well as providing for a series of intervention schemes to modernise and reorganise the quays to make the infrastructures more functional.

Commercial area: this includes solid bulk cargo and liquid bulk cargo and containers. The new regulatory plan intends to concentrate this highly organised sector in the eastern area of the port.
The main point of the new urban layout of this area involves the construction of the Nuova Darsena dock which will be used for container and goods traffic. Work has been carried out on some of the quays such as the extension of Bausan and Flavio Gioia wharves, while the Vittorio Emanuele III pier, once it is expanded and modernised, will be used for various goods.

Yachts

The new plan indicates the western part of the port area as a mooring point for large yachts at San Vincenzo Wharf while to the east in the Nuova Darsena Wharf a structure will be built for smaller vessels.
The new plan places great importance on the need to provide well-equipped and differentiated landing places for boats for the entire port area (La Pietra-Pietrarsa)which may be chosen in the area between Castel dell'Ovo and Molosiglio, in the area of Mergellina, once it has been suitably rationalised, and at Bagnoli in expectation of the renewal of entire western area of Naples.

This is the plan agreement. In accordance with the new regulatory plan and given the need to proceed more rapidly with certain work the Port Authority has decided, as regards the completion and filling of the Darsena dock, to appeal to the instrument of the plan agreement. The agreement, jointly compiled with Regione Campania (Regional Government of Campania), Comune di Napoli (Naples City Council), the Harbour Office, Federico II University of Naples, the Italian Ministry for Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Public Works includes the following points:

1. Completion and filling of the Nuova Darsena dock in the eastern area;
2. The extension of the quay front by 630 metres to allow the mooring of two container ships, each measuring 315 metres in length;
3. The construction of a storage depot of 250,000 square metres;
4. The transferral of the ENEL office building;
5. The construction of a port structure for the mooring and garaging of 600 yachts.