Genoa urban, economic and social development has always been inextricably linked to land morphology. The city extends along a narrow coastline which is mostly occupied by the port. Throughout its history Genoa has painfully conquered this thin strip of land, however, the lack of large areas, particularly suited to accommodate manufacturing plants, forced the Genoese to spread out toward the sea, nestled between land and water.

Furthermore, like most of the other Mediterranean seaports, but unlike leading Northern European hubs, land morphology forced ports and cities into a difficult coexistence, often raising misunderstandings and disputes, which induced both parties, distinct but inextricably linked entities, to compete for the same land and still stubbornly ignore each other.

Currently, although territorial conditions are still the same, cities and ports have completely changed their attitude targeting the more complicated and multifaceted port-city design and focusing on a mutual development plan. A specific strategy is required to evaluate, by exploiting all potentials generated by the merger between port industrial activities and urban business opportunities, the logical reasoning to achieve sustainable development and foster urban growth.

The present scenario highlights a selection of plans and projects which tackled the issue of the city-port relationship in Genoa by adopting a specific approach.
In fact, the Municipality and Port Authority were required to draw up their respective Masterplans simultaneously and to agree the terms and conditions of certain issues, namely those which focused on city-port relations.

The existing Masterplan originated from the 1994 Italian Port Reform Law n° 84. In essence, it introduced in Italy a new planning process, which decreed that masterplans should no longer be just itemised lists of works to be carried out within port boundaries, but now be used as an integral element of urban planning; no longer a mere plan for the development of the logistics management network, but a major tool deployed to respond to primary urban regeneration requirements.
The existing Port Masterplan, drawn up in the late '90s with the invaluable contribution of University researchers, architects and urban planners, was endorsed in 2001.

The plan of action, phased in by the Masterplan designed to cater for the future container trade growth, is currently being implemented .

The new market requirements have long been calling for the introduction of a new planning phase which shall, today, henceforth be integrated within the new Masterplan of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority.