Assessment of waterfront attractiveness in port cities - Facebook 4 Urban Facelifts

This research aims to assess the attractiveness of urban waterfronts related to perceived spatial quality of places, in order to enhance the regeneration of transformation areas in port cities. The main purposes of the research are the development of a tool for the assessment of the attractiveness of port areas and the identification of priorities for public investment based on stakeholders involvement. This article focuses on the post-industrial port city of Torre Annunziata in Southern Italy and in particular on its industrial port area and waterfront. The research method is based on a participative process able to build a shared long-term strategy for the enhancement of spatial quality of port areas. The results highlight the potential of this participative tool to evaluate different scenarios for the future of waterfronts development that can support decision makers, citizen and stakeholders taking the most effective decisions towards a sustainable development of port cities.