The southern Taiwan port city of Kaohsiung is working to transform itself. Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu was in France on Thursday to inspect the Euroméditerranée project, an urban renewal plan currently under way in Marseille.
Both Marseille and Kaohsiung used to be military ports with high walls preventing urban development. The Euroméditerranée project, however, has helped develop Marseille over the last 20 years.
Kaohsiung’s Mayor Chen said that Kaohsiung used to be home to the world’s third largest cargo container port. However, in recent years, the Kaohsiung port has dropped out of the top ten list. Chen is now seeking to transform Kaohsiung, using its proximity to the harbor as an advantage.
Meanwhile, Kaohsiung City is set to host the 2016 Global Harbor Cities Forum. The Kaohsiung government has invited tier one cities in the United States, Europe and Asia, including Los Angeles and Marseille, to share their experiences.