By Howard Wong : savemuni – excerpt
PORTS: GLOBAL DYNAMICS
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With the everchanging world of shipping, cruising, boating, transportation, recreation and technology, port cities have to be nimble—inventing mixed-uses of piers, berths, docks, yards and structures that mesh with maritime circulation.
PORT TECHNOLOGY: PSA to Unveil Drones, Robotics and Futuristic Port Tech
https://www.porttechnology.org/news/psa_to_unveil_drones_robotics_and_futuristic_port_tech
MARYLAND SEA GRANT: What is Aquaculture?
https://www.mdsg.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/What_is_Aquaculture.pdf
NEWGEOGRAPHY: Asia Dominates Largest World Seaports
http://www.newgeography.com/content/005372-asia-dominates-largest-world-seaports
The distribution of cargo traffic is similar. East Asia accounts for 56 percent of the top 100 port volume, four times the volume of Europe (14 percent) and five times that of North America (11 percent). The world of ports is by no means static. With the expanded Panama Canal now in operation, the maximum capacity of container ships has been nearly tripled. This means that US Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic ports are more competitively positioned by being able to berth the larger ships originating from Asia. This permits substitution, for example, of longer and less costly ocean voyages for intermodal truck and rail shipment across the United States,
QUORA: Why are Singapore and Shanghai the busiest cargo ports in the world
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-Singapore-and-Shanghai-the-busiest-cargo-ports-in-the-world
ARCBEST: 10 Busiest Seaports in the World
https://arcb.com/blog/10-busiest-seaports-in-the-world
WORLD BANK: Competitiveness of South Asia’s Container Ports
http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar/publication/south-asia-ports-competitiveness
The report proposes a three-pronged approach to improve the performance of container ports: (i) Encourage private sector participation within a well-regulated and administered landlord port model; (ii) strengthen the governance of port authority boards; and (iii) promote competition between and within ports, in part through transparent and competitive concession bidding.
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WATERFRONTS: LEARNING FROM THE BEST
PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES: Great Waterfronts of the World
https://www.pps.org/article/greatwaterfronts
A truly great urban waterfront is hard to come by. The PPS staff has examined more than 200 urban waterfronts around the world–cities on the sea (Hong Kong, Vancouver, Miami, Athens), rivertowns (London, Paris, Buenos Aires, Detroit), and sturdy lakefront burgs (Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Zurich).
TELEGRAPH: The world’s most beautiful ports: 19 places you must arrive at by sea
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/galleries/most-beautiful-cruise-ports/
ACTIVATION OF HISTORIC PIER 70 & SF WATERFRONT
Everyone wants historic Pier 70 and the waterfront to be a magical place. But not all new developments succeed. Certainly, wise decisions and planning have laid the groundwork for success. All involved deserve gracious kudos. Now, let’s study the details and elements that assure long-term rewards. Here’s an example of one of the best historic preservation projects—followed by lessons learned and activation ideas.
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PEARL BREWERY PROJECT, San Antonio, Texas
The Pearl neighborhood is a sensory immersion into a story of history. This grand historic preservation project is infused with historical architecture, spatial experiences and industrial objets d’art. Along the extension of the San Antonio River and Riverwalk, the Pearl is a mix of residential, office, retail and dining, creating a destination hub—especially for food. But history is the palpable draw because the sense of place has maturated for 130 years. Recognition has included: Global Award for Excellence by the Urban Land Institute, Great Neighborhoods Award by the American Planning Association and Top Green Project by the American Institute of Architects.
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CONGRESS FOR THE NEW URBANISM: Pearl Brewery Redevelopment
https://www.cnu.org/what-we-do/build-great-places/pearl-brewery-redevelopment
At the turn of the millennium, the 26-acre Pearl Brewery in San Antonio was abandoned and desolate—a collection of empty buildings and pavement with only five trees. Now, thanks to an ambitious Pearl Brewery Redevelopment Master Plan, the site is an economic and social powerhouse, drawing an average of more than 10,000 visitors to events weekly, including 3,000 shoppers at a farmer’s market. Thirty locally run businesses thrive in the district, which is known for its restaurants. The entire district was built without street curbs, allowing flexibility for public gatherings like the farmer’s market. Public spaces abound, including an outdoor amphitheater. A 500-kilowatt array in the district is the largest solar roof installation in Texas. A combination of design and connectivity reduce parking needs. Residents and visitors have multi-modal transportation options, including a bike-share station on site.
INHABITAT: Abandoned Pearl Brewery Adapted into a Vibrant Mixed-Use Project in San Antonio
https://inhabitat.com/abandoned-pearl-brewery-adapted-into-a-vibrant-mixed-use-project-in-san-antonio/
The Pearl Brewery was abandoned in the early ’90s in favor of other breweries. But rather than let the industrial infrastructure sit vacant, it was transformed into a vibrant mixed-use office, retail and entertainment district. Located along the famed San Antonio River, the Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse is at once a tribute to the history of the brewery and a modern and sustainable project.
RIVARD REPORT: Rise of the Pearl: How a Historic Brewery Transformed a City
https://therivardreport.com/rise-of-the-pearl-how-a-historic-brewery-transformed-a-city/
Rare is the modern-day development that has the power to transform a city. Yet the crown jewel of downtown San Antonio revitalization, unfolding on the banks of the Riverwalk since 2001, has been accomplishing that for more than a century.
HOTEL EMMA: Pearl Brewery, San Antonio
This great historic preservation project tells a story of history. Much of the hotel has public access, with surprising spaces and industrial artifacts. Ranked #19 best hotel in the world by Condé Nast Travel, and #4 best hotel in the U.S. by TripAdvisor, the design is stellar to the smallest details. Within the Pearl district hub, Hotel Emma is an attraction in itself.
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SAN ANTONIO CURRENT: A Walk Through Hotel Emma
https://www.sacurrent.com/sanantonio/a-walk-through-hotel-emma/Content?oid=2482855
When you walk up to Hotel Emma’s reception area, through the slate-gray gravel and naturally arranged flora, you start to feel as though you’re entering a unique place with an old personality and an authentic soul. To say that there were no accidents in the Herculean, multi-year undertaking of decorating and designing Hotel Emma is to “deny the accident,” as Jackson Pollock once did. Led by New York design firm Roman and Williams, with huge assists from countless locals, the interior design of Emma is rooted in the history of our city and in the artifacts of the Pearl Brewery’s history.
RIVARD REPORT: Hotel Emma: San Antonio Gets a Showcase Hotel
https://therivardreport.com/hotel-emma-san-antonio-gets-a-showcase-hotel/
Set in the Pearl’s iconic 121-year-old brewhouse, the Emma is a design, engineering, and construction triumph that can be described at length, yet can only be truly appreciated through personal experience. What distinguishes the Emma from all other luxury hotels in the state and region begins with the approach its owner and developer, Silver Ventures, and its visionary, Kit Goldsbury, took to preserve and celebrate the site’s history as a blue-collar brewery with all its gritty industrial edges.
ACTIVATION STRATEGY FOR PIER 70 & SF WATERFRONT
Like the entire historic waterfront, Pier 70 has an intrinsic economic value, which requires chipping away rubble to unveil the hidden gem of history. The Pearl Brewery and Hotel Emma in San Antonio show the power of historicism—from city planning, historic preservation and design to details and textures— maximizing the valuable asset of history.
SHARED VISION WITH TENANTS
Tenants have to engage the public realm—at all times of the day. A decade of public processes envisioned a public realm at Pier 70, with Prop D (2008), Pier 70 Master Plan (2010), Prop F (2014) and Pier 70 General Plan Amendments (2017). Frontages of tenant spaces should serve a public purpose. At frontages, small-scale retail can be sub-tenants, sidewalk cafés/ carts/ kiosks, beer gardens, night markets, art fairs, historical displays…. Tenants should be encouraged to operate 7 days a week—day and night—for more human connectivity.
NEW TENANTS
When applicable and possible, adhere to the Master Plan for maximum public connectivity.
DESIGN CONSISTENCY & QUALITY
Design standards of historicism should apply throughout Pier 70—for historic structures, new buildings, interior renovations and tenant improvements. Also, often the best predictor of design quality is the steadfastness of the client, as well as project managers and reviewers.
ART ENRICHMENT FUND
The City and tenants together can install new historical art, sculpture and artifacts.
CIRCULATION
For the district as a whole and the site, routinely reevaluate circulation paths for people and vehicles—to assure a rich sequence of spaces, events and surprises.
TELL THE STORY OF HISTORY
Historic architecture and historical/ industrial artifacts have unique appeal that should be featured ubiquitously. Make Pier 70’s history palpable. Besides faithfully-restored buildings, small details add authenticity, like bathroom designs, lighting, handrails, door hardware, flooring….
ARTIFACTS OF HISTORY
Creative maritime/ industrial artifacts add to the sense of place, as functional objects, art and building systems. The sense of history should be everywhere.
TEXTURES OF HISTORY
The grittiness of the maritime and industrial age should be evident, with careful attention to design of sidewalks, street surfaces, plazas, floors, walls and roofs.
STREETSCAPES
The public realm reinforces historic buildings, with creative design of streetlights, traffic lights, fire hydrants, signage, landscaping…. Wider sidewalks can incorporate historical displays, plaques, art, sculpture, planters, trellises, seating…. Combine streetscaping and buildings so as to frame views.
LIGHTING
Highlight historic buildings with floodlighting and spotlighting at night, as well as historical lamps at doorways. String-lighting over streets can have the flavor of industrial gas lamps.
ACTIVATE THE NUCLEUS—THE HISTORIC CORE
Design the historic core as a holistic composition of buildings, streets and spaces—for 24/7 activity. The historic core is the comforting symbol that people will remember and return to.

Regards, Howard Wong, AIA, CWAG (Central Waterfront Advisory Group) Member
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