Ports and cities are historically strongly linked to deliver prosperity, power, and progress. But relationships between the two have, in many cases, become strained over time. Increasing urban populations and growing maritime trade create environmental and societal challenges. We have yet to address many of the challenges resulting from the Fourth lndustrial Revolution (4IR), which we are currently experiencing. Public policies around port cities are still at their inception in most ports. The creation of such policies should be a priority when one considers that 17 of the top 25 world megacities are also port megacities. The time has come for the two key pillar 'smart' and 'sustainable' to be treated holistically in terms of policy making, not only in developed countries but also in developing countries, when making decisions about critical port city populations, infrastructure and trade logistics.