PORTUSplus – published by RETE, International Association for the Collaboration between Ports and Cities – is an open-access and peer reviewed journal, dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of themes concerning the urban waterfronts and the relationship between port and cities.
The Journal (portusplus.org) publishes and promotes scientific products and investigations – original works, studies experimental or theoretical, research results, etc. – concerning different fields of interest and from around the world.
The objective is to encourage the dissemination of knowledge and stimulate the international debate, promoting an systemic and holistic approach in the investigation and application, also exploring the interaction between policies and practices in the process.
More information <Aims and Scope>
Promoting the communication and development of scientific research – which plays an increasingly relevant role in contemporary society – PORTUSplus invites scholars and researchers, practitioners and policymakers, experts and other stakeholders to respond to the Call for Papers for the Special Issue “Landscapes of Port Clusters: Rethinking Port-City Territories in a Networked Era”. We welcome the submission of original papers, empirical analyses, case studies, and best practices across the multiple disciplines related to the themes described below.
Submissions should promote the understanding and development of port clusters as new spatial formations and governance models for coastal operational areas, offering new perspectives, empirical data or theoretical advancements capable of guiding future policies and practice.
Landscapes of Port Clusters.
Rethinking Port-City Territories in a Networked Era
In recent decades, the global port system has undergone profound transformations. Among these shifts, the emergence of port clusters – defined as geographically concentrated and functionally interconnected systems of ports, infrastructures, and related activities – has become a key paradigm for understanding contemporary port development.
Port clusterisation is now reshaping the spatial, environmental, and socio-political dimensions of port-city territories, intertwining logistics platforms, urban settlements, ecological systems, and infrastructural corridors. Recent developments highlight the need to closely monitor the evolution of this complex and still unfolding phenomenon.
As emerging “landscapes of the cluster” (Moretti, 2025), these systems produce new spatial patterns and hybrid interfaces that challenge conventional planning tools and disciplinary boundaries within a new and broader dimension.
This Special Issue of PORTUSplus invites contributions that critically explore port clusters as complex, adaptive, and spatially embedded systems, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue across architecture, urban planning, geography, and maritime studies.
Potential Topics
To attract a diversified and multidisciplinary set of contributions, we encourage papers on the following topics, though this list is not exhaustive:
Spatial and Territorial Configurations of Port Clusters
The spatial organization of port clusters represents a fundamental shift in the way port systems are managed, understood, and designed. Moving beyond the traditional model of the single port-city, contemporary port development increasingly operates through distributed, networked, and polycentric territorial systems, where multiple ports, logistics platforms, and urban settlements interact across extended geographies. Therefore, when examined through a morphological and typological lens, port clusters can be interpreted as multi-scalar constructs.
Governance and Institutional Transformations from Systems to Clusters
The consolidation of port clusters has been accompanied by significant shifts in governance models.
This evolution reflects a move from a competitive, port-centric logic toward collaborative and integrated governance strategies, aimed at optimizing resources, infrastructures, and territorial synergies. In this context, large, medium, and small ports assume differentiated yet complementary roles, contributing to more resilient, flexible, and spatially distributed systems that respond to both global market dynamics and local territorial conditions.
Port-City-Territory Interfaces
The evolution of port clusters is giving rise to hybrid interfaces where logistical, urban, and environmental systems intersect. Ports, cities, and hinterlands increasingly operate as interdependent territorial systems, characterized by overlapping functions, shared infrastructures, and continuous transitions. These emerging configurations challenge established models of separation and invite new approaches to design, planning, and governance capable of addressing conflicts, fostering synergies, and promoting the coexistence of diverse uses within port-city territories.
Infrastructure Networks and Logistics Integration across Scales
Port clusters are structured through increasingly interconnected infrastructure networks that integrate maritime, rail, road, and inland waterway systems into cohesive logistical chains. The development of intermodal corridors, together with processes of infrastructure sharing, optimization, and rationalization, enables more efficient flows of goods while reducing redundancies and environmental impacts. Within these systems, large hubs, medium terminals, and smaller ports contribute in complementary ways, forming distributed and flexible logistics geographies that rely on coordination rather than competition. The adoption of all-inclusive planning and design tools, including data-driven approaches and digital platforms, becomes essential to manage complexity and enhance interoperability across scales.
Environmental Transitions and Sustainable Port Clusters
The increasing interconnectedness of port infrastructures and territories calls for coordinated strategies, that integrate energy networks, logistics systems, and land use. Approaches grounded in circular economy principles and ecological restoration are fostering the development of nature-based and hybrid infrastructures that operate across port, urban, and natural environments. Within this framework, small- and medium-sized ports assume a pivotal role, supporting distributed, adaptive, and resilient strategies that drive the sustainable transformation of port clusters across multiple hierarchies.
Methods and Tools for Spatial Analysis of Port Clusters
Building on emerging approaches in mapping, cartography, lexical categories, and spatial analytics, innovative methods and tools capable of capturing the spatial complexity of port clusters as multi-scalar, dynamic, and relational systems can emerge. Particular attention should be paid to methodologies that explore how design research, data-driven models, and all-inclusive planning tools can reveal hidden patterns of interconnectedness, flows, and territorial transformations, enabling a deeper understanding of port clusters as operational landscapes.
Comparative Perspectives and Future Scenarios for Clustered Port-City Regions
As port clusterization is an emerging and evolving phenomenon, both advanced and early-stage configurations reveal distinct spatial, governance, and infrastructural characteristics. Comparative analyses across diverse case studies can highlight common patterns, divergences, and potential development trajectories. Future scenarios should address ongoing transformations – such as climate change, digitalization, and shifting trade geographies – positioning port clusters as key agents in shaping adaptive, resilient, and sustainable port-city regions.
Suggested Research Questions
To guide potential contributors, we suggest the following research questions:
- How does port clusterization redefine the spatial relationship between ports, cities, and territories?
- In what ways do port clusters generate new landscapes and spatial typologies beyond the traditional port-city interface?
- What governance models are most effective in managing the complexity and multi-scalar nature of port clusters?
- How can spatial planning and design disciplines contribute to the integrated development of port clusters?
- What role do port clusters play—or could they play—in addressing climate change, energy transition, and environmental sustainability?
- How do infrastructure sharing and functional complementarities reshape logistics geographies within clusters?
- Which tools and methodologies (e.g. mapping, indicators, spatial analysis) are most effective in interpreting and designing port cluster systems?
- How can architecture engage with port clusterization, redefining the design of buildings, infrastructures, and public spaces across multiple scales within evolving port-city territories?
Process of Abstract / Paper Submission
Participation in the selection for publication in PORTUSplus Journal (portusplus.org) requires to answer the “Call for papers” before the established deadline and following the instructions for the online “Submission Step by Step”, or using the Editorial Team contacts (see below).
Language
Articles must be submitted exclusively in English (American English, translated or revised by a native speaker or professional in translation). If deemed appropriate by the Author(s), the same work may also be presented eventually in a second language among those admitted by the Journal (French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish).
Deadline for Paper Submission
The selection process for the Special Issue will follow the schedule below:
- Deadline for Abstract Submissions: August, 30th 2026
- Deadline for Paper Submissions: September, 30th 2026
- Publication of the Special Issue: December 2026
As regards the Submission phases, the detailed instructions are indicated on the Home Page of the Journal’s website and in the “New announcements” section: portusplus.org/index.php/pp/announcement.
Peer Review Process
Papers are submitted for evaluation through an anonymous procedure by at least two members of the Panel of Reviewers, composed of prestigious academics and experts in different disciplines (planners, architects, engineers, geographers, historians, sociologists, etc.), also with the collaboration of the Guest Editor, the members of Scientific Advisory Board, and the Editorial Team.
Publication of Selected Papers
In accordance with the recommendations of the Reviewers, the papers will be selected by the Editors and published on PORTUSplus with the ISSN code (2039-6422), the International Standard Serial Number which uniquely identifies a serial publication.
Open Access
All articles published on PORTUSplus are made freely and permanently accessible via the internet, immediately after publication, without restrictions, charges and embargo period. The articles are available to a wide audience and internationally, based on the principle that open access supports a greater exchange of knowledge and experience.
More information <Open Access Policy> and <Charges Policy>
Journal Policies
The Journal makes all its policies available on the website, which include detailed information on submission, editorial processes, guidelines for different users, copyright, etc. All parties involved in the activities and production process are introduced and informed around their rights and responsibilities to ensure a smooth and ethical publishing process.
More information <Policies> and <Roles and Responsibilities in Publishing>
More Information
For further details you can consult the Journal’s website at the following link:
https://portusplus.org/index.php/pp/announcement/
Editorial Team Contact
For the papers submission and any further information, please to address requests and questions to the PORTUSplus Editorial Team:
Beatrice MORETTI
Guest Editor for the Special Issue “Landscapes of Port Clusters“
Email Address: beatrice.moretti@unige.it
Oriana GIOVINAZZI
Editor in Chief of PORTUSplus Journal
Email Address: journal@portusplus.org