Who Needs a Working Waterfront, Anyway?

The increasing recognition of waterfronts as a recreational and redevelopment asset belies its continued value for trade and industry. Will Doig makes the case for the oft-antagonized shipping industry in the tug-of-war over waterfront real estate.

2 minute read

March 14, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Ryan Lue


Often described as a public asset, the waterfront has a way of captivating the public imagination, inviting frequent controversies over who gets to develop on it, and what.

Consider, for example, the case of two deep-water berths in Providence, Rhode Island that were sold to a metal recycling company late last year. The "battle [had] been raging in Providence for several years," Doig reports – "on one side, a developer who wanted to turn the shoreline into apartments, offices and hotels. On the other, the maritime industries that have been working there since the turn of last century." Shortly after industry won out, the complaints started rolling in: "Who put this big, ugly heap of metal on our lovely industrial port?"

Doig points out that the reality of waterfront industry stands sharply at odds with the imagined nostalgia of old-time working docks often invoked by many developers and "seen as a way to lure high-earning residents."

But while the shipping industry is soaring – "the container trade has doubled since 2000, and 2012 is expected to be another record-breaking year" – the benefit of booming real estate developments tends to be much shorter-lived. Take New Jersey's "Gold Coast," where in the 1980s, new residents lawyered the scrapyard and repair docks out of town, only for the real estate market to slump not too long thereafter.

Doig highlights a number of advantages that a working waterfront offers: high-paying, blue-collar jobs; environmentally cleaner shipping than trucks or trains; and a more diverse urban economy.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 in Salon

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Cobblestone street with vintage street lamps in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets

The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.

1 hour ago - WJCL

Sign for Loma Alta Park in Altadena, Los Angeles County.

A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena

Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.

2 hours ago - Pasadena NOw

Colorful historic homes in Madrid, Spain.

Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs

The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.

4 hours ago - The New York Times

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.