Testing a design-led multi-scalar framework for the sustainable revitalization of Egypt’s Holy Family Trail

Cultural routes are increasingly recognised as catalysts for sustainable development; however, many continue to be treated as fragmented heritage assets rather than integrated spatial and socio-economic systems. This challenge is clearly illustrated by Egypt’s Holy Family Trail, where successive development initiatives remain largely disconnected and lack a cohesive framework capable of linking heritage preservation, community development, and spatial continuity. This study tests a design-led framework for the sustainable revitalisation of cultural routes by applying it to selected stations along the Holy Family Trail and validating it through comparative analysis with two internationally recognised routes: the Camino de Santiago and the Great Tea Route. The research adopts a multi-scalar, exploratory methodology that combines station-based testing with comparative cultural route analysis. Transferable principles related to governance, spatial organisation, mobility staging, service ecosystems, and community participation are first derived from the reference routes. These principles are then operationalised through a station profiling tool and applied to three representative stations along the Holy Family Trail, selected to reflect entry, transitional, and core spatial conditions. The findings demonstrate that cultural routes can operate as regenerative development corridors when design interventions are aligned with local socio-economic contexts and phased mobility logic. The proposed framework identifies differentiated development potentials across station types and establishes clear linkages between spatial design strategies and selected Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable cities, inclusive economic growth, and partnerships. By moving beyond conceptual discourse toward a tested and transferable model, this study contributes a replicable methodology for the sustainable regeneration of cultural routes across diverse territorial contexts.