ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the factors contributing to the dynamic development of multi-port gateway regions and multi-port hub regions. A multi-port gateway region is defined as a port system with an outspoken gateway function. The Singapore region primarily acts as a sea-sea transhipment platform, whereas for instance the seaport system in the Yangtze Delta is a true multi-port gateway region giving access to vast service areas in the Delta and along the Yangtze river. The development of a port system is highly dependent on the strategic decisions of market players. The development path of multi-port gateway regions is affected by geographic proximity, organizational proximity and cultural proximity. Territorial borders between states, provinces and even municipalities/cities can have a large impact on the spatial and functional interactions among the ports in a multi-port gateway region. The specialization debate in a multi-port gateway region can sometimes emanate in the desirability of a deliberate port decline.
