Prerequisites for the formation of typological prototypes of river transport infrastructure facilities
Abstract
Prerequisites for the formation of typological prototypes of river transport infrastructure facilities
Incoming article date: 09.01.2026The article is devoted to the study of the architectural and typological development of river transport infrastructure facilities on the Don River. The relevance of the topic is determined by the revival of river passenger transportation and the need to design a contemporary system of facilities for its operation. The study examines the typology and characteristics of the main elements of river infrastructure (ports, piers, pontoons, floating landing stages, river terminals, and pavilions), as well as the stages of their development, functional transformations in the course of evolution, and the influence of transport factors on design solutions. The research establishes that the formation of typological prototypes of river transport infrastructure on the Don River is shaped by the development of navigation and technological progress in river transport, the growth of transportation volumes, socio-economic and natural-urban planning conditions, the capital intensity of structures, and their architectural significance; at the same time, the system of facilities evolves from utilitarian forms to a multi-level, multifunctional structure integrated into the transport network and the spatial image of riverfront territories. Ports and piers form the framework of the river transport network, river terminals act as key nodes for organizing passenger flows and integrating transport and public functions, river pavilions ensure the connectivity of local routes and the continuity of passenger service in urban and suburban environments, while pontoons and floating landing stages provide adaptability of the infrastructure to complex hydrological conditions. Taken together, these typological models constitute an integral, hierarchically organized river transport infrastructure system oriented toward sustainable development and the comprehensive use of riverfront territories.
Keywords: river transport, river transport system, river transport berthing infrastructure, port, pier, floating terminal (debarkader), pontoon, river passenger terminal, river transport architecture