The transformation of the harbour area of Cagliari and the change in its role is a planning issue which has interested and continues to interest coastal towns all over the world. The restructuring of waterfronts and problems regarding interface between towns and ports already form a large part of wide ranging specialized literature from which we can take valuable examples. The need for widescale changes to be made to a traditional port's role is mainly due to the rapid technological development of maritime transport. In fact, the last ten years have been characterised by continual research aimed at reducing total transport costs and accelerating the overall handling cycle at various intermodal stages. As a result of this we need to find deeper and wider water basins to accommodate increasingly bigger ships and to radically change the concept of port wharfs. In many cases, however, the pressure of urban structures bordering the port area has made this impossible, highlighting the fact that modern transportation technology has actually broken the functional relationship between towns and ports. The city of Cagliari falls into this category. It is ready for a phase of renovation where the city reclaims its waterfront. This paper puts forward the way in which these problems will be dealt with. In particular problems relating to the traffic crossing the harbour area, for which a tunnel has been planned. The second problem concerns maritime passenger transport which soars in summer months to reach figures of 6000 people a day. An intermodal centre for passengers has been planned to connect the maritime station to the railway and bus stations already present in the area. Part of the water basin will be available for a tourist port with around 1000 berths creating one of the most important marinas in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea. Great care will have to be taken not to break with tradition when making these changes. It is therefore necessary to keep history and memories alive by putting old structures to good use and maintaining certain maritime activities. In particular a part of the present commercial port will have to be transformed into an efficient RO-RO terminal for passengers and goods. All other modes of maritime transportation such as containerisation or bulk handling will have to be transferred to the new industrial port. Following this programme an efficient, integrated system can be created at the same time as recreating and redefining the relationship between the city and its sea, generating new opportunities for development, work and pleasure.
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