Livorno Municipality and its seaport are requested to produce the strategic noise map according to the European Directive only in 2012. However Livorno Port Authority, following the principle of environmental sustainability and in coherence with its EMAS status, started the investigation about the interaction between the noise generated by port activities and the nearby city. This analysis has been carried out within the Life funded project NoMEPorts, whose goal is to develop and provide tools and expertise to European ports for implementing their strategic noise maps, by means of a collaborative mapping of 8 Port Authority technical representatives from all around Europe. The work presented outlines in detail the process followed in performing the noise mapping of the Livorno port area and the port-city interface area, focusing in the problems encountered in the data collection, in port noise model building steps and in the consequent solutions adopted. The paper also talks about the result obtained by showing the noise maps in six detail levels and reports about the action plan proposed. As a result this experience emphasises the importance of noise maps as a powerful tool for decision-makers in port planning.