Gateway Cities of Gdynia and Gdańsk: Driving Regional Growth

1. „European gateway cities and regions – New evidence on different types of gateways and their future role” 27 November 2013 - Brusseles

2. Today, Gdynia, together with the port “next door” - Gdańsk are a gateway ports, with total turnover ca 45 mill tonns of cargo,as today. Both have “national port” status, governed independently, and labelled as: “ports of national importance”. Tomorrow, according to the “Baltic Transport Outlook 2030”: “(…) the largest increase rates can be found at St. Petersburg region, the Kaliningrad region and by the Gdynia-Gdańsk region with growth rates of above 80%”. Both ports would be “engines for growth” of the region as well as of Gdańsk-Sopot - Gdynia metropolis. Economic analysis of the European Port System – ITMMA – University of Antwerp - 2009

3. Today, Gdańsk and Gdynia are developing the infrastructure of “last mile” of TEN-T “priority projects” no: 23 (railway) and 25 (motorway) as well as21(MoS Gdynia-Karlskrona). Tomorrow – it will be upgraded into co-modal Baltic-Adriatic Corridor in TEN-T core network – with port-cities gateways, forming subregional and regional intelligent specialization – logistics.

4. The idea of North-South transport corridor, leading from Scandinavia via Central Europe, the Balkan countries and Turkey to the Middle East has many fathers. Originally it was designed 40 years ago ( see TEM/TER UN ECE. Master Plan). Trans-European Motorway Oslo-Athens is barely successful until now. The countries, covered by the plan, are coping with serious delays.

5. The “Logistic Valley” initiative is the output of Gdynia’s contribution of “SoNorA” South North Axis project (CE Programme 2007-2013). Aiming to improve Central Europe’s transport infrastructure and services, „SoNorA” provides important added value by facilitating the development of trans-regional “joint” action plans for avoiding delays, caused by lack of shared vision regarding strategic transport policies. The general assumption was that consensus building in the scope of infrastructure projects preparation, is crucial for efficient functioning of entire transport network.

6. “Logistic Valley” vision was designed upon a broad consensus of all, representing the “city” and the “port” actors and decision makers , from Gdynia, the region and “Gdynia subregion”, covering territorial units located along E-28/Via/ Rail Hanseatica.

7. The “Gdynia subregion” area has occurred in the final report of the ”SEBTrans – The South-East Baltic Future Transport Pattern and the TEM/TER Development Zone” project. (2000). The developed features of functional – spatial structure were characterized with – among others – settlement system characterized with a huge level of functional and spatial integration including 7 centres, belonging to two large regional functional subsystems, of Gdańsk and Gdynia. High number of daily commuting, in comparison to the population potential, indicates a higher level of cohesion in Gdynia than in the Gdańsk subsystem. The Gdynia subsystem – including following cities: Gdynia, Rumia, Reda and Wejherowo, is characterized with high cohesion indices accompanied by a high level of closeness of the system and complementary character of functions.

8. Strategy for Gdynia Development 2003-2013 The Priority 3: Economy The strategic aim: 1. Creating conditions for increase competitiveness and development of the companies within maritime economy 1. Developing Gdynia port sites in order to make optimal use of their potential. 2. Ensuring transport accessibility of the port. Development of infrastructure necessary for the creation of 6th Transport Corridor of European motorway network system (TINA). 3. Supporting investments encompassing modern production and port-related services within the scope of foreign trade, transit and fishery. waterfront

9. The upgrading the “subregion Gdynia” (TINA) concept into “ Logistic Valley” (SoNorA) vision was supported either by SoNorA’s project: Logistic Competence Center guidelines or by recommendations of ESPON 1.1.1. „Potential for polycentric development in Europe” Report. “The development of (…) Category 4 MEGAs will depend upon their capacity to overcome their weaknesses. MEGAs that belong to this category are located in the Mediterranean area, and in the acceding countries. In the acceding countries, these MEGAs are nodes to the European urban system. Their role is crucial in relaying a more balanced territorial development on the European scale. MEGAs that belong to this category include Bordeaux, Bucharest, Cork, Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot, Genoa, Katowice, Kraków, le Havre, Ljubljana, Łódz, Porto, Poznan, Riga, Sevilla, Sofia, Southampton-Eastleigh, Szczecin, Tallin, Timisoara, Turku, Valletta, Vilnius and Wrocław…”.

10. The political agreement, forming the territorial cluster of 6 communes and setting up the structures dealing with implementation of the consensus building , was concluded.

11. The legal framework of the „Logistic Valley” initiative is moreless sufficient. National Spatial Development Concept 2030 adopted the following typology of functional areas: “The territories approved is oriented at the use of endogenous potentials of functionally defined territories, integration of public measures in the spatial dimension and multi-level governance. The proposed definition of a functional area covers the following areas whose delimitation results, among others, from applicable laws • metropolitan area – “the area of a large city and its directly linked surroundings” The Strategy of Development of Pomorskie Region2020 indicates the Tricity Metropolitan Area, as recommended to the scheduled Integrated Territorial Agreements as well as to the future Integrated Territorial Investments – as a key instruments for territorial cohesion 2014-2020. Nevertheless, both documents doesn’t express directly any “gateway impact” on local or subregional environment. However, due to the enormous scale of investments, developing capacity of both seaports and both seaside/landside links to both ports of Gdańsk bay – the problem arises. „Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller” enters Port of Gdansk

12. The triple helix approach to the “Logistic Valley” initiative includes the scientific platform: „Think-Tank “Logistic Valley”. It provides valuable feedbacks. Professor Włodzimierz Rydzkowski (Gdańsk University) “The initiative of the 6 communes, concerning the development of the “Logistic Valley”, is a perfect hit. It’s hard to delimitate its territorial range today. A “Logistic Platform reaches further than a “logistic centre (…). The area of activity of port terminals in the “Logistic valley” area will be its heart one”. Professor Andrzej Ruciński (Gdańsk University) “Spatial integration requires integrated infrastructure management. What matters are the impulses that trigger the process. Gdynia should initiate the process and ensure its development”. Professor Andrzej Grzelakowski (Maritime Academy Gdynia) “The key is information management.In other words, an information logistics centre also as a server that informs of all about the terms of conducting business operations in the “Valley”. Professor Jerzy Kubicki (Maritime Academy Gdynia) “The Logistic Valley” initiative is fully justified. Its spatial structure limits the possibility of dense construction. The possible arrangement is dispersed but integrated one. The timing is very good for “Logistic Valley”. The region needs initiatives that will accelerate its development” . Professor Mirosław Chaberek (Gdańsk University) “The vision of “Logistic Valley” meets the strategic thinking approach. There are three factors that determine the success of “Logistic Valley”: logistics, the city and the business”.

13. The development of “Logistic Valley” initiative, currently within the framework of “Bothnian Green Logistic Corridor” project (BSR Programme 2007-2013), will be triggered by integrated Action Plan, adopting the standards of a green logistic corridors. Otherwise the “national port” and “territorial cluster” will start to compete for the some resources: land, transport routes, tax revenues, environment and so on.

14. OECD “The Competitiveness of Global Port Cities” Integrated and consolidated nature of “Logistic Valley” is a key success factor. A port-city is a complex territorial, social and industrial organization. Its development trajectory is determined by a number of actors – ranking from local to national levels of government and including private and public actors. Each of which has a different set of interests and motivations. Since the land is a vital resource, the higher land productivity of ports is a challenge nowadays, including even the multi-site ports – re-location of ports on new port sities.

15. ESPON contribution to gateway cities and regions. Strategic importance of European maritime affairs, confirmed in Integrated European Maritime Policy, and other landmark initiatives (“European ports: an engine for growth”) – is obvious. Consequently, the strategic importance of seaports – gateways handling the global and European trade routes – is also confirmed. The European port industry can be more efficient and competitive – if territorial approach will be applied. The transformation of the seaports into functional gateway area (both urban and subregional) - should be monitored and inspiring for modifying European urban policy.

16. City Hall of Gdynia City Development Office Ryszard Toczek tel. /4858/ 668-21-11 fax /4858/ 668-21-12 e-mail: r.toczek@gdynia.pl designed by KODI