Coastal public realms and housing livability in Saudi cities: developing a comprehensive waterfront development index (CWDI) for Jeddah

A novel Comprehensive Waterfront Development Index (CWDI) reveals a 'two-speed' waterfront in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with newly redeveloped zones excelling in public amenities and accessibility but lagging in resilience and environmental sustainability. The study highlights critical gaps in solar adoption, cooling infrastructure, and flood risk mitigation, particularly impacting vulnerable historic communities like Al Balad. By integrating global urban evaluation frameworks with context-specific indicators tailored to Jeddah's hot-arid climate, the CWDI offers a transferable tool for Gulf cities to assess coastal public realms and advance Vision 2030 goals. This approach empowers municipal governance with actionable insights for planning future coastal housing projects.

Hegazy, I., & Imam, A. (2026). Coastal public realms and housing livability in Saudi cities: developing a comprehensive waterfront development index (CWDI) for Jeddah. Frontiers in Built Environment, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2026.1750109