Effective Use of Authenticity Value as a Catalyst for Coastal Intermediate Cities Development: A Case of Al-Quseir City, Egypt

Abstract

The concept of Authenticity refers to a property's ability to ensure, preserve, and sustain its cultural value over time. In recent years, the UNESCO World Heritage Center has worked to create a conceptual framework that would provide criteria for evaluating, conserving, and managing urban heritage. Coastal cities are attractive destinations for both inhabitants and visitors all over the world. Further, intermediate coastal cities are considered to have a critical and significant basis in developing substantial economic and social interactions. Therefore, this research aims to examine the potentials and values of intermediate coastal cities in Egypt to identify practical guidelines that may efficiently enhance cities' development taking Al-Quseir city as a case study, one of the most promising coastal cities. Based on profound theoretical and analytical studies, the authenticity concept was studied and analyzed composing a list of indicators that illustrate the value of coastal cities. Followed by an analysis of Al-Quseir city and examining it against the authenticity adopted indicators. In addition to evaluating the Al-Quseir strategic plan to determine to what extent it contributes to enhancing the value of the city's authenticity. Moreover, this study will offer an assessment framework by which the development of Al-Quseir city could be assessed.