Expansion - integration Integration between Port and Town
Over the last two decades the relationship which ports traditionally maintained with the surrounding urban area has rapidly evolved and undergone a considerable transformation. With the increasing commercial activity, both industrial and logistical, the change in the attitude amongst inhabitants of surrounding areas who place increasing importance on environmental standards and finally, legislative changes introduced by central and local government, have lead many ports to seriously revise their relationship with the cities in which they are situated.
The Port of Castellón was one of these ports which adopted this new approach in the middle nineties. Rather than exist with its back to the town, it was decided to remove the wall which for so long had divided the port from the town, and convert the area closest to the town into an area of recreation and leisure activities open to the public. A seafront area was created both for residents and visitors, which, as the number and variety of the attractions has increased, has become one of the principle centres for tourism in Castellón.
The initiative for this complete conversión of an important area of the port came entirely from PortCastelló, in contrast to many other Spanish ports where the urban development of the the seafront area was brought about by various institutions.
