Urban design factors associated with coastal alterations

The coastline of Hurghada, Egypt has been a site of extensive tourism development since the 1980's. Construction and habitat alteration, including dredge and fill operations of shallow areas, excavation of artificial lagoons, construction of huge marine structures, and mining and quarrying. Experts consider Hurghada to be an example of what un-planned development could damage marine and aquatic life. Yet little research has been done on which -if any- physical design factors of tourist villages that promote or impair dredging. For example, is there a relationship between filling more coastal area and plot dimensions or area? Is there a difference between the behaviour of privately and publicly owned plots when it comes to altering the coast line? Are regulatory instruments of protecting the shoreline, limiting area and setting a set-back distance effective and reasonable? This paper analyses these issues using time-series data from 3 satellite images that monitor up coastal development in Hurghada from 1989-2005. It uses statistical analysis linked to a GIS database to examine the association between physical factors of tourist projects and the propensity to assault the coast. It concludes that several planning and legislative flaws are likely to have contributed to the encroachment on the coastal strip in Hurghada. It presents a list of future recommendations for the planning of plot subdivision and its regulations.