1 INTRODUCTION This article reflects the most important results of the research that was held at the Faculty of Architecture of Lisbon, which led to a doctoral thesis in urban planning. It focuses on urban and emerging tourism development, found in lakes surround, giving emphasis to the time lag between the year 2002 until the present time in Portugal. The investigation after a more general approach to the theme, focuses on the Alqueva reservoir, as an object of study. The contemporary urban development in the sur- rounding of reservoirs, has been the result of a new relationship, found through sectoral policies and in- crease economic strategies of tourist activity, coming from the end of the XX century. There is in the liter- ature review, this tourism development and urban model he developed, have yet collided with Europe- an Directives, ecological and environmental conser- vation, created especially to protect the natural envi- ronment and the good condition of freshwater reserves, at the heart of sustainability issues and vi- tality of both the agrarian spaces or urban areas of cities. 2 THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The methodology of research was supported by Case Studies (Yin, 1994). They acquire an important significance when we consider the subject of re- search, inserted in the urban development in the bayous of engaging, and when the general and spe- cific objectives to be achieved, are framed in the analysis and evaluation of current urban and tourist approaches, in the surrounding thereof. This im- portance is also reflected, when you want a qualita- tive and quantitative comparison between urban transformations verified in the nine reservoirs that were chosen as study areas: Monte da Rocha, Alqueva, Alvito, Vigia, Montargil, Castelo de Bode, Aguieira , Valdecañas and Abrantes and as a special case. This analysis and comparison of case studies (de- fined twenty-two distributed by nine reservoirs), aims to create a set of recommendations and criteria to be applied in future urban and tourism develop- ment plans in the bayous of engaging, relevant to the reservoir of Alqueva, which aims to create a specific base, framed in critical success factors resulting from this analysis of case studies. The methodological approach, based on case studies, supported by a review of the extensive lit- erature on various cross-cutting themes will re- search, with critical support of an experience knowledge base given by the expert panel, triggered a viable research roadmap for that would trigger a final phase of the research a set of conclusions which led to the final recommendations. ALQUEVA EXPERIENCE H. Amador Architect, Ph.D. in urban planning, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal C. Alho Architect and professor of Architectural School of Lisbon, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal ABSTRACT: Reservoirs, lakes, rivers fronts, more than sea fronts already too densified, are at the center of the intervention of a culture that today is stated as urban. Are territories that have awakened the last ten years, an increased interest in environmental, economic and social. The objectives of this research, analyze and evaluate the current urban development approaches in the surrounding of lakes fronts, based on the ur- ban and tourist transformations verified in nine reservoirs: Monte da Rocha, Alqueva, Alvito, Vigia, Montargil, Castelo de Bode, Aguieira, Valdecañas and Abrantes as a special case. The study object of this research is the Alqueva dam. It is intended to build a set of recommendations which may condition future urban and tourist changes in reservoirs environment, while assessing the sustainability of current housing developments already implemented or in the design phase in the surrounding of the Alqueva dam.