Journal of Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development (RESD) June 2015 - ISSN 2356-8569 167 RESD © 2015 http://apc.aast.edu A Sustainability Assessment Framework for Waterfront Communities Increasing the Resilience of the Abu Qir Waterfront Community in Alexandria Sally El.Deeb 1 , Rania AbelGalil 1 , Alaa Sarhan 1 1 Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design Department, Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, AbuQir campus, Alexandria, Egypt. Abstract - It is predicted that the global phenomena of Climate change will have far reaching effects and implications on different local urban systems. For incidence, global average sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 36 cm by the 2050s, and between 9 and 69 cm by the 2080s. Waterfront communities are the first to be affected by such impacts, putting them at high risk. Planning strategies are needed to assist these communities and increase their adaptive and learning capacities in the face of diverse challenges to their urban sub-systems. The research investigates a number of sustainability frameworks and assessment rating systems for neighbourhoods and communities. It investigates the sustainable evaluation criteria carried out by three assessment rating systems. First is the LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, USA), the second is the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, UK), and the third is the Estidama PEARL rating system (UAE).Examples of waterfront communities which applied the previous rating systems are analysed in order to determine the applicability and relevance of these systems to waterfront communities in particular. The research concludes with a proposed framework of indicators for waterfront communities. The similarities and differences between the three rating systems and featured indicators specific to waterfront planning applied in the analysed examples; yet absent in the three rating systems, have informed the selection of indicators in the proposed assessment framework. The proposed framework could be an effective tool for the planning and development of à waterfront community in the MENA (the port region). In order to validate the framework, the set of environmental and physical indicators were applied on the case study of Abu Qir waterfront, Alexandria, Egypt. Conclusions and recommendations are made that would enhance the resilience of this waterfront community and provide a comprehensive tool for its sustainable planning. Keywords - waterfront communities, sustainability, rating systems, assessment framework. I. INTRODUCTION Waterfront regeneration is becoming one of the most celebrated practices of urban renewal in contemporary cities of the North. At the same time, developing regions have suffered prolonged inattention which lead to a gap between both (Giovinazzi & Moretti, 2010). Urban waterfronts throughout the world suffered a series of deteriorating conditions related to environmental, social and economic issues. Some of these issues include changing land uses, large areas of derelict land, lack of services and affordable housing for communities, contaminated air, water and soil, lack of connectivity and inefficient transport. With increased awareness of impacts of climate change, cities are facing big challenges with environmental conditions accomanied by pressures that threaten urban systems to accommodate rapid growth and development. Planning for long term growth and increasing the resilience of urban areas in such a manner that addresses the number of crucial economic, environmental and social conditions is an important quest, more particularly for developing countries with surging population. This paper addresses this quest through providing a framework of indicators to assess the environmental and physical aspects of water front communities. The paper is divided into six sections, following the introduction. The second section explores principles agreed upon for the sustainability of waterfronts. The third section analyses the three rating systems