日治初期的高雄港（打狗港），航道已是淤淺難行，卻能基於地形優勢，以及殖民政府的港灣集中修築政策下，經總督府核定，成為南部主要港口。配合縱貫鐵道、打狗停車場擴建以及港灣浚渫的實施，高雄港展開前所未有的變化。本文以日治時期高雄港埠規劃為研究主體，利用日治時期之計畫圖、史料文獻，探討殖民主義下打狗築港政策的形成，並期能解析高雄港在三期築港計畫中，港埠的規劃手法以及空間開發情形。研究發現，在殖民政府積極開發臺灣資源、拓展島內產業目標之下，高雄港埠空間現代化之規劃，充分展現由鐵道與港口主導之空間邏輯，以及善用環境優勢，從而改變港灣內空間佈局與發展走向。另，受到二戰影響的第三期築港計畫，除仍實質開發，並提出具有前瞻性的規劃構想。最後，本文認為日治時期之高雄港埠規劃與空間開發，以合理的港埠規劃邏輯，建構一個近代化的港埠，是日治後高雄港持續發展擴張的良好基礎。

During the early Japanese colonial period, the Takao Port silted up and became nonnavigable. Recognition of the Kaohsiung Port’s geographic potential and the colonial government’s policy of centralizing harbor construction improved the port’s prospects. By the approval of the colonial Taiwan Governor-General, Kaohsiung became the major trading port in southern Taiwan. In conjunction with the implementation of the north-south railway line, the expansion of the Takao Train Station, and port-dredging, the Kaohsiung Port began its unprecedented development. By exploring historical planning schematics, documentary materials and planning methods, this study focuses on the formation of Kaohsiung Port’s plan under Japanese colonial rule and elaborates the port’s three-stage improvement plan. Furthermore, it analyzes the spatial approaches and the course of port development planning. This study finds that the colonial government’s goals of actively exploring resources, developing industry, and modernizing Kaohsiung Port were the dominating factors in railway and harbor spatial development; it also examines the colonial authority’s use of the landscape’s potential to change the spatial design and development direction of the harbor. In addition, apart from the actual development, the third phase of port construction, affected by World War II, was to develop farsighted ideas that would be relevant to subsequent port planning. Finally, the port planning and spatial development during the period of Japanese rule established a modernized port with a solid foundation for sustainable operation and subsequent port development.