After several decades of technicians planning and designing recreational navigation infrastructures, we can now say that this discipline has gained a certain maturity status. In this sense, the ?marina designer? is getting recognised as a distinct professional figure.
Skilled professionals that treat these matters for the first time need relevant ?codes of practice?. Furthermore, these ?codes of practice? need to include recent developments, such as the evolution of super- and mega-yachts, changes of boat dimension ratios, widening of age range of users, disability access, marinas integration to urban functions, supporting infrastructure and boat yards, and sustainability criteria.
Although several guidelines of this kind have been produced by different organisations all over the world, mostly with regard to national or regional importance, an internationally generated guideline has not yet been produced.
Furthering PIANC's mission of providing expert guidance and technical advice on waterborne transport, PIANC can fill this gap by generating international guidelines for marina designers.
To produce the PIANC guidelines for marina design, this document will keep in consideration all the PIANC publications on recreational navigation produced until now, updating the relative points of view.
Additionally, the most used guidelines produced by other organisations all over the world will be collected, analysed and criticised. The compilation of these efforts will result in the production of a practical, useful and easy-to-consult document for the desk of marina planners, designers, engineers and technicians.
This report hopes to become a reference for marina designers and other practitioners involved in marina development and operations. It summarises available technical literature, including the most recent advances in the field, as well as practical lessons learnt from experience of the contributors, such as professional practitioners in the fields of marina planning, design, engineering, environmental services, construction and management activities.
