Green Urbanism and Urban Transformation in Gamasa, Egypt: A Multi-Criteria Assessment Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

This manuscript creates a framework for decision support based on green urbanism to direct the sustainable development of Gamasa, an Egyptian seaside city. The paper aims to convert the concepts of green urbanism into a multi-criteria evaluation that can support strategic urban development and prioritize spatial interventions. Sustainable mobility, green and blue infrastructure, energy and resource efficiency, urban form and density, social livability and public space quality, and governance and implementation feasibility are the six dimensions that are defined. These dimensions are derived from international sustainability literature and tailored to Gamasa’s particular challenges. The study’s methodology combines a multi-criteria decision-making approach based on the AHP with spatial analysis of land use, street hierarchy, building shape, and green space distribution. Weights for these dimensions are determined by expert-based pairwise comparisons, which are backed by a SWOT analysis. To prioritize priority zones for green transformation, the weighted framework is applied to four important urban areas: residential districts, a large urban park, the waterfront, and the main urban corridor. The top priorities, according to the results, are climate-responsive coastal design, increased green and blue infrastructure, and sustainable transportation. For quickly urbanizing coastal cities, the method demonstrates how the AHP operationalizes green urbanism into quantifiable, context-sensitive goals.