I propose to discuss land use under two heads: (U) the use of land within the port for the development of port installations, and (6) the availability of land for port development generally and for the location of associated industries. In the port industry we are living through a time of change which is well-nigh unprecedented in its extent and rapidity, and this places the planner in a particular difficulty as part of his job is to attempt to assess with some sense of reality the shape of things to come. When he tries to peer into the future, it may be helpful if he glances over his shoulder and looks into the past, so as to form some historical perspective and discern in the past events some trend, some developing theme, which he can extrapolate into the future.68. Fig. 5 shows four part plans of berths which were typical of the period when they were built. The first is the plan about the turn of the century. It is a very tight, congested layout which gives a berth area of about quarter of an acre to every 100 ft of quay apron. The second plan shows a finger pier of about 20 years later, with a ratio of about half an acre to 100 ft of quay length. The third layout is pretty typical of modern berths in the Port of London for the mechanized handling of break-bulk cargo and gives a ratio of 1.2 acres to 100 ft of quay length. Finally we come to the apotheosis, the container berth, with a ratio of about 2 acres to 100 ft or even 2.5 acres to 100 ft. Fig. 6 gives cross sections of the same berths.69. Looking again at Fig. 5, the site in 1900 is very narrow and the warehousing operations are carried out in the same place as the transit operations. If we look at the horse-drawn vehicle we also appreciate that this was a more leisurely era and that operations did not have to be carried out at the intensive level which we try to attain today. Moving to the 'twenties, we now have a single-storey shed, a much wider area of land and the beginning of mechanization with the quay crane which dominates the site. Then in 1955/65 we have a very much wider berth still and much more intensive mechanization, with the fork-lift truck and the mobile crane. The warehousing operations are removed from the berth. Finally, once again we have the container berth, and what is distinctive about this is that the only operations carried out on the berth are those which must be carried out there, the loading and unloading of the ship and the stacking and marshalling of the containers.70. I think this very brief historical review reveals two trends. The first is the continuous increase in the area of land made available for each berth. The second is the removal from the berth side of some of the operations which are carried out in connexion with the movement of cargo in ports.71. Layouts have responded to developments in handling techniques and machinery, and I think this is probably the most important motivating factor. But very important too is the fact that we have learned to control related operations, even though they are separated physi...
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