21st AIVP World Conference on Cities & Ports

Carola Hein, a professor at TU Delft and a researcher-in-residence for the 2026–2027 academic year at the Paris Institute for Advanced Studies – "City of Paris" Chair, will be taking part in the AIVP World Conference Cities & Ports 2026, in Dunkirk, from 3 to 6 November 2026.

Presentation

The AIVP World Conference Cities & Ports brings together mayors, port authorities, technical experts, industry representatives and international institutions to share experiences and best practice in the field of sustainable city-port development. The 2026 edition will take place in the port city of Dunkirk, in northern France, from 3 to 6 November 2026.

Under the theme ‘Cities and Ports in Motion: Time for Action!’, this edition invites stakeholders from port cities to explore together solutions and strategies aimed at improving quality of life and promoting the sustainable transition of city-port areas.

The conference is structured around a central idea: the future of port cities depends on their ability to make joint decisions on the use of space, resources and responsibilities, and to work together to improve citizens’ quality of life against a backdrop of increasing constraints.

Faced with a scarcity of land, climate and geopolitical pressures, and social expectations, port and municipal authorities can no longer operate in isolation. Sustainable development requires the involvement of all stakeholders, negotiated strategies and a collective long-term vision.

It is therefore a question of sharing – understood not merely as redistribution, but as an evolving form of governance: sharing territories, risks, investments and decision-making processes. It is through this shared approach that port cities can reconcile economic performance, environmental protection and social well-being.

Programme

Carola Hein will speak at the session entitled ‘The Dunkirk Model: Lessons from a Port City in Transition’; 

This session presents the city and port of Dunkirk through the projects driving their transition: industrial decarbonisation, new clean-tech industries, energy and city-port integration. Local officials will share the lessons learnt from Dunkirk’s experience and what other port cities can take away from it.

She will be joined by Rafaël Ponce, Deputy Director-General for Economy & Attractiveness, Dunkirk Urban Community; Daniel Deschodt, Deputy Director-General, Dunkirk Port; and Audrey Tépeint-Malcorps, Director, Dunkirk Port Centre.

Full programme: https://aivpworldconference.org/programme-2026/

Practical details

Date: Thursday 5 November 2026, 12.15 pm – 1.00 pm
Venue: Le Kursaal – Dunkerque Conference Centre
Open to the public. Registration: via the conference website.