1. MARINAS: DESIGN REQUIREMENTS + ECONOMIC FACTORS
Jansen, Dr. Peter
(PhD engineering)
Architect
Secretary of the International Marinas Group (IMG)
of the
International Council of Marina Industry Associations (ICOMIA)
Company and address:
Humboldtstr. 40
40237 Duesseldorf
Germany
ABSTRACT
Marinas can be a landmark of civilizations, adding a new quality of life to a city. Marinas
can as well become an entertainment area not only for the marina users but for all visitors that
would like to join the fascination of waterfront and leisure harbor. It can offer a unique lifestyle
opportunity and should be beyond the expectations of visitors and users. According to
integration and programs a marina also can be an important economic factor of tourism or
urban attraction.
Keywords: marina, waterfront development, leisure harbor
1 INTRODUCTION
The attraction of mankind considering living with close to water and the infected
psychological aspects are of basic interest. Beside rational proposition of use water draws the
human being to dwell, live and build at the waterside. It provides an emotional component as
well as it is an element of urban development. Nonetheless this appeal tempts to exploit and
repress ecological space. Water had already in antiquity a greater significance than the mere
fulfilment of functional requirements. Since ancient times wells and fountains were built with no
other purpose than to enchant with movement and sound of flowing water. Up to today we
find estates with closeness to water without vital necessity. By modern infrastructure extraction
of potable water, waste water disposal and transportation routes made a close distance to
water insignificant to the single household. These central spheres of function for housing

2. estates are now off-design although today living in optical and physical range to water is still
appreciated.
Reasons for that are not exclusively possible sport and (spare leisure time) activities.
Hence to the importance of spatial order concerning development of residence and other
buildings and design data that supervises this development and protects waterside ecologically.
The conflict between growing settlement area and protection of ecological spheres at and also
in water must be solved by site criteria and ruling out to create an ecological balanced land
settlement scheme.
One major part of the waterfront is the development of leisure harbors, often as part of
abandoned commercial harbor developments.
1 SUBSECTION
1.1 Marina Design
Before building there comes planning, verifying and evaluation. That is also valid for
waterside projects. Thus many communities and regions have attractive waterside locations, but
what measurements are effective under which circumstances must be deliberately planned.
Here custom-fit consulting for the maritime project development, from consulting to location
and market concepts is required. Urban watersides are of great importance for cities and
regions. Living and working or sports and tourism – the demand is increasing. This can be
seen especially in maritime tourism very clearly, in spite of the constantly decreasing number of
active water sports enthusiasts. More and more people feel attracted to landside offers and
want to experience water in their everyday life and on holiday. Thus the perspectives for
communities and regions are – as well as private investors – basically very good. National and
international examples from urban aqua's practice show, what expert consulting can
accomplish in project development.
• Sustainable facilities and boating offers
• Environmental impacts
• Design and architecture
• Functions and allocations
• Construction and engineering
• Service and maintenance
• Safety and security
• Marketing and events
How can a modern marina fulfill all the needs and expectations for both, users and
visitors? Can there be a unique selling proposition generated for a specific marina? Which
facility concept fits best to certain marina, location, surrounding?
These requirements can be divided into four parts:

3. Service Architecture Infrastructure Activities
Staff Design Equipment Events
Comfort Visual effects Technical support Entertainment
Operation Layout Maintenance Marketing
Results: Unique Selling Points
Offers of special service
Comfortable ambience
Higher degree of fame
These requirements can be pointed out and some specific examples of several marinas in
Europe either planned or already existing can be showed. A marina can be much more than
storage for vessels. It can offer a unique lifestyle opportunity and should be beyond the
expectations of visitors and users. Acording to integration and programs a marina also can be
an important economic factor of tourism or urban attraction. A wide range of offers and facility
mixtures are required (trade, catering, leisure time, life and work) as well as an integration of
existing maritime elements, fascinating architecture and co-ordination of the urban development
layouts.
At best, marinas are the landmark of civilizations adding a new quality of life to a city.
Marinas can as well become an entertainment area not only for the marina users but for all
visitors that would like to join the fascination of waterfront and leisure harbour. To ensure this,
there has to be created a long-term facility strategy for water sport activities. By this, attractive
and sustainable water sport preserves as well specific facilities considering already existing
similar facilities, e.g. boat charter, hotel, restaurants.

4. 2.1 Actual goal analysis 2.2 Estimated goal analysis
Inventory analysis Unique selling points
Frame conditions Mission statement
Competitions Leisure time-/ tourism trends
Development standards, positioning in the market
Recommended actions
There are a lot of various facilities that create an amazing waterside area. Which of these
are suitable for the desired results has to be verified during the designing process. A marina
can fulfill needs or advantages such as:
• catalyst for other developments
• gives opportunities to enjoy the waterfront
• opens up shorefronts
• brings the public back to inner cities
• provides access to the water
• expanse und silence of water surface
• contrast between water surface and bank
• movement by water itself (waves, tide, surf)
• Activities by boat and water sport
• Typical audition and smelling at the waterside
Preconditions for a lasting development at the waterside are most important. To support
the attractiveness of them, it’s helpful to involve existing historical locations, amusement parks
or marines reachable by boat. The environmental sensitivity of site, aesthetics and landscape
has to be considered too as well as the navigational compatibility and safety of the new
structure.

5. Club
Municip.
Marina
Power
Water
Restroom
Washing machine
Laundry dryer
Fuel station
Waste disposal
Feces extraction unit
Slip
Crane
Maintenance service
Charter service
Supplier
Harbor master
Public parking
Playground
Shopping
Restaurant
Accommodation
W-Lan
Gas cylinder reception
Cycle rent
Benchmarking Study for yacht harbors at the Baltic See, 2005
1.2 Marina as an economic factor
The world wide tourism and the leisure industry are going through a period of
development with a strong increase of people traveling around and having more leisure time
since ever. The tourism industry is the world’s largest industry by 11% of the world GDP ,
according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). And it is expected to grow at a
higher rate than any other industry in the world. The special issue “Nautical tourism” within this
industry segment has been growing at the highest rates of the industry (8-10%).
© INTERCONNECTION CONSULTING GROUP 2005

6. There can be two types of Nautical Tourism demand be identified, the primary demand,
means boating is the main purpose of the trip, is responsible for about 3 million trips of one or
more nights and 1,15% of the total of trips in Europe. The secondary demand – tourists travel
for other reasons but at a certain stage of trip use a boat, there according to the European
Travel Monitor (IPK) this demand is responsible for an estimated 7 million trips a year.
The market development is growing year by year, the turnover for motor boats and sailing
yachts is growing continuously over the last years, in Europe e.g. from 2002 with 196.400 units
and a value of 6.35 billion € to 2007 with 214.865 units and a value of 8.28 billion €.
This shows the importance of boating for the economy of the European countries and to
attach the importance of improving the boating industry as an important factor for the growth of
the economies world wide.
2 CONCLUSION
Offering a great design and a sustainable facility concept, Marinas as a part of the
waterfront, can offer a lifestyle opportunity and become also an important economic factor for
both, the city and the local region. The results can be concluded as followed:
• Develop and maintain a marina of the highest quality, offering a unique lifestyle
opportunity
• Need for more service and quality, offer boat owners service and maintenance
facilities beyond their expectations
• Need according to target groups, market situation and competitors
• Need verified by analysis of actual situation and goal
• No blind activism as if to say „The more the better“
• Service and quality often mean increased prices
• Never force more service and quality no matter how much it costs, if the target
group or the market doesn‘t agree with it
• Water sports is an important and growing economic factor in tourism
• Connection water sports and tourism increases the number of tourists and economic
power to a very high degree
• Trips to other marinas nearby increase the demand
• Lead number of tourist and invite them into the Marina

7. 2.1 Examples of inland waterway marinas in Germany by urban aqua
2.1.1 Westharbour, Frankfurt, at the river Main
New building of a yacht-harbour within the new live- and business-district of Frankfurt. Initiator:
private-public partnership /City of Frankfurt
Competition sketch and concept study
Relaxed dwelling area
2.1.2 Marina Bergkamen Rünthe
Converting of a former industrial coal harbor, at the Datteln Hamm Canal in the Rhein-Ruhr
metropolis region, into a marina, Bergkamen Rünthe, Germany
(Peter Jansen for INPRO Ltd., Herne, Germany)
Site plan Arial view of marina and canal

8. 3 Acknowledgement
IMC Mission Statement - To promote and facilitate internationally the sharing and
exchange of information in respect to the development and best practice management of
marinas, boat storage facilities, boating access and associated infrastructure throughout the
world.
IMC, the ICOMIA Marinas Committee is a working committee of the world marine
industries body, International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA).
Its dedicated to promoting and facilitating the sharing and exchange of technical and
professional information concerning the development of marinas and other marine infrastructure
around the globe. It also promotes best practice operational and environmental management of
such facilities as well as fostering nautical tourism in the process.
The IMC conducts outreach education programs for the benefit of developers, owners and
operators of marinas, yacht harbors and dry-stack boat storage facilities as well as nautical
tourism promoters in both the private and public sectors. These programs are linked to the
IMC Committee meetings which are held two to three times a year in different parts of the
world with the participation of local marina and yacht harbor organizations as well as
government authorities.
Every third year IMC organizes a world-renowned global marina industry education
conference. This triennial ICOMIA International Marina Conference features professional
presentations from a broad range of international industry experts. The next conference will be
in Singapore in spring 2011.