From Informal Settlements to sustainable communities (original) (raw)

Sustainable Upgrading of Informal Settlements in The Developing World, Case Study: Ezzbet Abd El Meniem Riyadh, Alexandria, Egypt

Procedia Engineering, 2011

One of the biggest obstacles for development in the developing countries is the rapid population growth. This, together with continuing poverty and lack of basic needs for an acceptable life imposes a great challenge for sustainable development. The paper deals with the problem of the informal settlement phenomenon in Egypt and the means of its upgrading by adopting the concept of sustainable urban development through firstly analysis for relevant example, secondly setting a criteria and guidelines to be applied finally on a case study of an informal settlement in Alexandria, Egypt.

Good Urban Governance of Informal Settlements in Metropolitan Areas: Case Study of the Informal Settlement of Ezzbet Al- Haggana, Cairo-Egypt

Urban Governance of Informal Settlements in Cairo has become a critical challenge facing the Egyptian government Identification, integration and collaboration of relevant stakeholders becomes crucial. Consequently, this research aims at investigating new and adjustive governance models that imply effective participation of stakeholders. Three Methods were utilized; literature review to investigate norms of good urban governance and informality. Afterwards, political transitions in Egypt were traced in correspondence to spread of informal settlements in Cairo. Finally, the informal settlement of Ezzbet Al-Haggana in Cairo is particularly studied, as live evidence on the absence of collaboration between different stakeholders in a responsive framework. Site visits and interviews were conducted at this latter stage, which will be further explained within the paper. The research ends up with a conclusion that formal sector is incapable of providing adequate housing and services to everyone independently. Thus, all relevant actors should collaborate in efficient governance model.

Cairo’s Informal Areas Between Urban Challenges and Hidden Potentials

2009

The PDP (GIZ) has released the publication “Cairo’s Informal Areas Between Urban Challenges and Hidden Potentials. Facts. Voices. Visions.” Published in July 2009, the book provides a comprehensive look at development in the informal areas of Greater Cairo, Egypt. It combines academic and journalistic articles, interviews and speeches as well as photographs by photojournalist Claudia Wiens depicting the daily lives of residents. Cairo’s Informal Areas aims to provide a better understanding of the residents of the informal settlements and stimulate further dialogue on urban development in those areas. It does this by presenting the perspectives of the various stakeholders involved in the process: residents of the informal settlements, governors, ministers, academics, consultants, and development Cairo’s Informal Areas also encourages decision-makers, investors, planners and academics to see the advantage of coordinated implementation that takes the needs of residents into consideration instead of top-down, separate planning efforts.

Improving living conditions in informal settlements: the case of El-Arab, Hurghada

El-Arab is an informal settlement in Hurghada that was the focus area of an urban upgrading project for the Master's students of the department of Urban Development at the Technische Universität Berlin Campus El-Gouna. Its main target was to develop the physical upgrading, solid waste management and urban agriculture. Those topics were elaborated in different, yet interconnected projects. Accordingly, all three projects interact and complete an integrative approach towards the improvement of living conditions and livelihoods in El-Arab.

Methodologies Provided by the Egyptian Government to Deal with Informal Settlements

This paper is a critical review of Egyptian slum policies since 1950's and their impact. Slums in Egypt are considered isolated areas from their surrounding urban environment, despite their presence in vital zones and near well urbanized district. Add to that, the futility of traditional solutions offered by the government to resolve the problems of slums, which ignored the real aim behind upgrading which is integration that had to be based on a geographical, social, comprehensive aspects and especially an environmental aspect. Along with the continued increase in the size and number of slums and exacerbate their negative impact on the surroundings. All these factors made Slums one of the most important problems in Egypt, which fall below it a lot of sub-problems that affect urbanization, identity and security.

Mapping Informal Areas in Egypt Between the Past Interventions and Next Urban Revolution

Volume 21, 2016, In Press, 2016

This Paper is a clear attempt to analyze the efforts that done towards informal settlements in Egypt in the years with emphasis on the role of the public participation on the planning process. The aim of this paper is to map the dimensions of successful participation especially after the uprising of 25th of January revolution, the perception of participation must be different and deeper now, as in some previous cases; participation process was not completely transparent with the public, and in some cases the participation was limited or excluded to certain people or representative that worked with the government and doesn't represent the sound of local residents of informal areas. This will happen through studying and analyzing some cases of upgrading informal areas in Egypt and analyze its negative and positive points.

Regeneration as an approach for the development of informal settlements in Cairo metropolitan

The traditional approaches of mainstream for the development of informal settlements appear to be inadequate towards solving or alleviating the social and economic problems, and failed to cope with the rapid change that have arisen. Urban regeneration has evolved from a simple form of renovation or rehabilitation to targeting the restructuring and the renewal of the urban economy, and seeking social interaction and equity. As the need for the government to adopt an enabling approach that supports people living in slums rose, urban regeneration was considered as the effective approach to deal with the informal areas of in the inner city. A Profound literature review will take place on the meaning of urban regeneration and its application abroad. The paper will study the causes and the results of the booming of Ashwaeyat in Egypt in order to reveal weakness and obstacles to realize goals. It emphasizes on the need of a generic deviation in the model of intervention. Finally the paper ends by discussing the capability of the application of this approach in dealing with the informal settlements in Cairo metropolitan as proper approach to cope with the need of dealing effectively with those shadows in the urban context.