In the context of the initiatives for the Global Conference on the Urban Future (URBAN 21) held in Berlin in July 2000 and in the course of the EXPO 2000 World Exhibition, 10 Principles for a Sustainable Development of Urban Waterfront Areas were approved.

These topics have been previously developed by Wasserstadt GmbH, Berlin in collaboration with the Centre Cities on Water, Venice in the course of international seminars attended by local administrators, public and private entrepreneurs, university professors and scholars of the processes to requalify urban waterfronts.