Barcelona Port Authority wins the ESPO Award 2022!

Way to go, Barcelona! Barcelona Port Authority has received recognition from ESPO, the European Sea Ports Organisation, for its outstanding work in enhancing city connectivity through maritime passenger transport

The City of Barcelona's Port Authority received the ESPO Award 2022 on November 8 in honour of its outstanding maritime work, which has drastically improved the city's connectivity and supported its local communities.

The efforts by the POLIS member city add to their comprehensive efforts to enhance their sustainable urban mobility through pioneering superblock concepts, low emission zones, and sustainable parking options- as well as much work around inclusive and accessible transit such as tackling gender-based violence on public transit.

The Award was established in 2009 to promote innovative projects of port authorities that improve the social integration of ports, with particular attention to the impact on the city and local community. In this way, the Award aims to stimulate the sustainable development of European ports and their cities.

This year, it was given to the Port Authority for their 'Your Port Opens Up Again' project, presented to the city by Magda Kopczynska, Director for Innovative and Sustainable Mobility in the European Commission's department for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE). The project sought to integrate Barcelona's old port and the city by reorganising passenger traffic, with measures such as relocating a multifunctional terminal in the commercial port and moving one ferry and two cruise terminals from the old port area to a passenger-dedicated pier in the commercial port.

Port of Barcelona Authority and ESPO award jury at ESPO Award 2022 Ceremony. Credit: ESPO

 "We are honoured with this award, especially since it is an award coming from ESPO. We consider winning this award as an appreciation and support for our strategy which aims at combining sustainability with taking care of the passengers that come and leave from our port," says Santiago Garcia Milà, Deputy Director General of the Port of Barcelona. 

POLIS congratulates the Barcelona Port Authority for this achievement and welcomes the city to continue to embark on a comprehensive sustainable urban mobility agenda, redesigning the city's traffic through innovative use of its existing infrastructure.

To find out more about the ESPO Award 2022, click here.