Rezumat/Abstract. Public spaces are essential to urban life, fostering social interaction and community cohesion. While public space refers to shared physical areas, publicness describes their actual openness, accessibility, and inclusivity. This concept is crucial for evaluating the social and spatial roles of urban spaces beyond legal definitions of ownership. This study investigates how the publicness of Alexandria’s waterfront typologies can be assessed by analyzing spatial transformations, land use, and patterns of function and ownership. It hypothesizes that balanced, targeted urban strategies can enhance openness and inclusivity. Alexandria’s Corniche, with its diverse waterfront types and complex ownership structures, serves as an ideal case study. A mixed-methods approach integrates literature review with spatial analysis of land use and transformation. Waterfront areas are categorized by typology and evaluated using a comprehensive evaluative framework. Findings reveal that approximately half of the Corniche remains fully public, while the other half consists of semi-public and semi-private spaces, which are rapidly encroaching upon the public realm. While fully public spaces foster community life, semi-public areas contribute to perceived safety and comfort. The study concludes that regulating privatization, enhancing public accessibility, and maintaining a balance in ownership are key to creating a more inclusive and resilient Alexandria waterfront.

Cuvinte cheie/Key words: public spaces, transformation, ownership, land use, shoreline

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