Connecting people with the waterfront

[i]WaterfrontExpo 2008[/i] Conference 3-5 November Arena and convention center - Liverpool -UK WATERFRONTEXPO IS THE GLOBAL EVENT FOR WATERFRONT regeneration and development. Since launch in 2003, delegates and exhibitors – including municipal authorities, developers, architects and investors – have attended from 400 cities and 60 countries. WaterfrontExpo 2008 is being hosted by Liverpool with the official support of the Liverpool City Region through The Mersey Partnership and the North West Development Agency. It is in many respects the perfect host city. Liverpool is the European Capital of Culture 2008 and the famous Liverpool waterfront, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies at the heart of a major city-wide urban regeneration and development programme designed to revitalise the waterfront as a key place to live, work and play. Conference programme “not to be missed” No less than 10 major case studies plus other presentations have been carefully selected to illustrate how a diverse range of large – and small – urban areas are setting about reconnecting their people with the waterfront. This year’s theme emphasises the importance of people and the local community in determining the success of a development, particularly in terms of its long-term sustainability. As is usual, the geographic spread of the case studies is global, ranging from Brisbane, Puerto Rico, San Francisco and Shanghai on the one hand, to Belgrade and La Spezia in continental Europe, to Irvine Bay, Liverpool and Margate in the UK. The case studies will highlight different aspects of how people interact with the waterfront – be it through leisure & tourism, shopping, living, working or travelling. At one end of the scale we open the door on Liverpool One, Europe’s largest shopping complex located on a key part of the city’s waterfront. At the other end of the scale we investigate the Turner Margate, a fascinating example of how a prestige but community-focused project can serve as a catalyst for the broader regeneration of a once popular seaside resort. Accompanying the case studies are generic presentations examining the ways and means of attracting people to the waterfront, from the importance of destination branding, to the role of events. Visit the official site: http://www.waterfrontexpo.com/event/