Defending the past by challenging the future: spatial and institutional path dependencies in the Naples port-city region

Abstract

Historical paths matter in port-city regions. Here, spatial patterns and governance arrangements are path dependent to the point that once certain paths have been established, these become hard to change. This defines a condition of institutional inertia that plays a significant role in preventing any form of spatial change. Naples is an exemplar of how different actors have historically developed their own routines and planning tools, resulting in the spatial and governance separation still visible today. How do path dependencies influence the port-city (and regional) relationship we are experiencing today? Nowadays, ports operate in an increasingly changing environment where spatial and economic developments can be better understood as the results of actors' interactions across different scales. In order to cope with global urgencies, such as energy, economic and societal transition, European infrastructure policies are driving many port authorities towards infrastructural integration and governance cooperation. This offers significant opportunities to improve relations among ports, but it mostly leaves out the interconnections with cities and larger regions. Moreover, it also challenges consolidated beliefs and planning cultures which have planned ports and cities as disconnected entities, at least since industrialization. In Naples, local and national authorities find it difficult to define a sustainable consistency of interests. Today, the Central Tyrrhenian seaport system is the new institutional umbrella overseeing the three main ports of the region: Naples, Castellammare di Stabia and Salerno. This paper investigates whether this new governance entity results in either an opportunity for change or a reinforcement of existing path dependencies. ARTICLE HISTORY

Towards Circular Port–City Territories

“…The concept of path dependence is applied as an interpretative tool to understand the stratification of institutions, the formal and informal arrangements among authorities and how changes in the current governance setting can represent a window for new opportunities (Arrow, 2004;Arthur, 1980;David, 2007;Hein & Schubert, 2020;Mahoney, 2000;Ramos, 2017). Path dependence, whose connection with the evolution of port cities has been explored in other recent publications (De Martino, 2020a, 2020b, represent the theoretical approach to analyse what André Corboz has defined as "urban palimpsest" (Corboz, 1998), to better understand the wide variety of traces and mutations that have firstly connected and later detached the port from its city.…”

“…Moreover, the presence of path dependencies-as dependence on consolidated (and therefore inertial) economies and governance processes-explain why ports, despite having similar characteristics, differ from each other (Hein & Schubert, 2020;Monios & Wilmsmeier, 2016;Notteboom et al, 2013;Ramos, 2017). Because of path dependence, port and city authorities tend to become committed to developing strategies to reinforce their historical beliefs and values (De Martino, 2020b;De Martino & Hein, 2020;Sorensen, 2018).This chapter focuses on the case of Rotterdam where different authorities are working on breaking path dependence by developing a twofold objective: on the one hand, by improving the economic position of the port and, on the other hand, by revitalizing port-city relationship from a historical, cultural and social perspective.…”

“…Moreover, the presence of path dependencies-as dependence on consolidated (and therefore inertial) economies and governance processes-explain why ports, despite having similar characteristics, differ from each other (Hein & Schubert, 2020;Monios & Wilmsmeier, 2016;Notteboom et al, 2013;Ramos, 2017). Because of path dependence, port and city authorities tend to become committed to developing strategies to reinforce their historical beliefs and values (De Martino, 2020b;De Martino & Hein, 2020;Sorensen, 2018).…”

Restoring the Porosity of Naples: a community-based design approach

“…This allowed to detect what interests, problems, goals, resources, replaceability and criticality the main stakeholders have and characterize them accordingly to the definitions given by Murray-Webster and Simon (2006): the residents resulted being acquaintances, because despite the low power and not being conscious of their economic interest, have a high attitude; the civic associations and the Islamic community can be considered friends, that can help in the engagement with the residents; the market vendors and commercial activities can be considered time bombs, having high attitude, medium power and low interest in change; a strong institution as the Catholic Church can be instead seen as a sleeping giant that can back or hinder a proposal. Private developers, with not much power, interest and attitude, in this moment represent a tripwire with high leverage on a municipality with budget issues; lastly, the municipality has to be seen as the main possible saboteur, lacking in attitude and presenting a high inertia towards change (De Martino, 2020).…”

Materiality in the Seam Space: Sketches for a Transitional Port City Dome District

“…Naples is a port city (De Martino, 2020), and the porosity Benjamin and Lacis celebrate could also describe ports' liminal transition space where sea and land interpenetrate. The port is the 'knot' that joins maritime and land space (Weigend, 1958, p. 185), gazing simultaneously outward to sea and the world beyond and inward toward the hinterland.…”