Quayfront

Quayfront refers to the waterfront zone that forms the landward edge of a quay, wharf, or harbour. It is the interface between the harbour and the urban fabric and may include public promenades, plazas, buildings, and open space adjacent to the quay. The quayfront often serves as both a functional edge for maritime activity and a public realm for residents and visitors.

As a mixed-use edge, the quayfront typically supports pedestrian-oriented retail, dining, offices, residences, cultural facilities, and transportation links. The quay provides mooring and loading facilities, while the quayfront offers access and activation along the water’s edge. Buildings along a quayfront can range from heritage warehouses repurposed as apartments or offices to new mixed-use blocks, complemented by lighting, signage, seating, and public art.

Planning and design considerations for quayfronts focus on creating safe, accessible public space, integrating transit and circulation, preserving views of the water, and enhancing climate resilience and flood protection. Practices often aim to balance heritage preservation with new development, ensure resilience to rising water levels, and maintain ecological integrity along the shoreline.

Economically, quayfronts can stimulate tourism, attract investment, and create jobs, but planners address affordability, displacement, and environmental impacts. Socially, they aim to provide inclusive public spaces and curb over-commercialization.

Quayfronts are found in many port cities worldwide, where waterfronts have been redeveloped from industrial use into accessible, mixed-use public spaces that connect people to the harbor.