Papers by aboulfetouh shalaby
Civil Engineering and Architecture
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Civil Engineering and Architecture
The linkage of cities and rivers is a historic phenomenon that persists to this day. Urbanization... more The linkage of cities and rivers is a historic phenomenon that persists to this day. Urbanization historically began to appear on river sides and evolved along with the development of cities. The connection is represented in the linkage of the fabric of urbanism, and people, to rivers. There exists a global interest in the linkage of cities with rivers. In an interest to achieve ecological goals and communal, cultural, and economical conservation, processes have risen that value the connection of cities to rivers. The most notable of these global interests are greenways that have been implemented in multiple nations. They have become a global movement as a planning and designing tool that attains an established organizational, well-funded, and legalized structure that also strives for global inclusion in sustainable development, under which falls the linkage of cities with rivers. The Egyptian case, unfortunately, neglects river cities, despite the origination of the phenomenon in the country thousands of years ago, despite what the nation attains in cultural and natural heritage, and the fact that Egyptian river cities comprise 70% of Egyptian cities. We find that local studies that have covered river cities did not go beyond theoretical analysis, which presents a difficulty in execution due to shortcomings in planning processes, thus, this study takes steps to ensure ease of practical implementation. The study focuses on the city of Cairo as an exemplar of Egyptian riverside cities as a whole. This was done due to the extensive history the city attains of the relationship between urbanization, people, and the river. The current situation was monitored, and institutional and urban problems that contributed to the separation of Egyptian cities from the river were identified. Analysis of a group of global experiments in greenways based on: (i) The planning process. (ii) The basis and criteria of design. (iii) Organizational structures. The study aims to learn from previous successes to reform the processes responsible for the development of Egyptian river cities. Results have been reached that shape a complete and effective integrated framework has been developed to link the city with the river at the local level that can be applied to the Egyptian case, and in turn, emphasizes the role of landscape planning and design in reconnecting the city with the river.
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Egypt has lately prepared a national urban plan for 2050, with industry as one of its economic ba... more Egypt has lately prepared a national urban plan for 2050, with industry as one of its economic bases. Yet, existing industrial areas (IAs) in Egypt are unsustainable. Future IAs areinclined toface the same fate, if their planning process resembles that of the existingIAs.In response, the Egyptian government has made some institutional and legislative arrangements, since the 1990s, to integrate sustainable development in its planning practices. However, literature reviewed doubts the ability of these arrangements to considerably reform the process through which IAs are planned in Egypt. Therefore, this research investigates the extent to whichthe current planning process of IAs in Egypt is sustainable. The study used data collected from primary documentary evidences such as lawsand establishing decrees ofrelevant governmental organizations; and semi-structured interviews with top officialsto identify how these legal sources are comprehended.This research finds thatIAs' planningpr...
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Journal of Urban Research, 2016
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Journal of Urban Research, 2012
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International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research and Engineering, 2018
" How does the eco-industrial park (EIP) differ from the conventional industrial area, p... more " How does the eco-industrial park (EIP) differ from the conventional industrial area, particularly in urban planning and design terms? " is one of the questions currently posed among those concerned with the planning of industrial areas in Egypt. This is understood when considering the scarcity of local research in the field, the lack of international research and the lack of consideration of the ecological dimension in the Egyptian industrial experience, despite its relatively long history. This documentary research contributes to answering this question through presenting a case study of which the authors were assigned the task of preparing its technical studies and urban plans. This case is an EIP located in the Asfan administrative center (AAC) in the Al-Jumum governorate, Saudi Arabia. To prepare the required study, the authors first reviewed available relevant literature looking for different concepts associated with industrial ecology and, more importantly, their physical/urban connotations. The authors also studied the AAC in terms of its locational and natural potentials/limits, the interregional supply and demand, the potentially competitive/integrative regional industrial peers, and the industrial national strategy in the Kingdom as a whole. In light of these studies, a general planning concept for the EIP in the AAC was prepared, followed by the preparation of detailed plans and urban design scheme for a selected area of 300 ha of the EIP's first implementation phase. The authors hope that this documentation serves as a reference for academics and practitioners to contribute to the discussion on the urban dimension of EIPs, stimulate further research to build knowledge internationally and, more importantly, raise local awareness towards more sustainable industrial development in Egypt.
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Urban Forum, 2018
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Journal of Urban Research
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This paper optimizes the orientation and aspect ratio (H/W) of street canyons in the hot eastern ... more This paper optimizes the orientation and aspect ratio (H/W) of street canyons in the hot eastern desert of Egypt to increase daytime thermal comfort level while mitigating nocturnal urban heat island (UHI). The study first examines the thermal performance of a simple north-south/east-west oriented gridiron pattern given H/W proportions from 1 to 5 on the hottest summer day with predicted mean vote (PMV), and sky view factor (SVF) readings using ENVI-met v3.1. Second, it tests the thermal performance of extra seven orientations identifying the best combination of orientations and aspect ratios. The paper finds that north-south oriented streets have to be given a 1:3 proportion, not less, to maintain better pedestrian daytime thermal comfort and, not higher, to permit an acceptable amount of heat release during night time. For east-west oriented streets, because of the limited impact of increasing aspect ratio daytime, a 1:1 proportion is recommended to mitigate nocturnal UHI. The paper also finds that the diagonal urban form with 1:2 and 1:3 aspect ratios given to its NE and NW streets respectively is thermally the best along the day on average. Further, to help designers make climatically responsive geometrical decisions, the paper develops a thermal comfort wheel which collectively shows the thermal performance of different aspect ratios and orientations.
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" How does the eco-industrial park (EIP) differ from the conventional industrial area, particular... more " How does the eco-industrial park (EIP) differ from the conventional industrial area, particularly in urban planning and design terms? " is one of the questions currently posed among those concerned with the planning of industrial areas in Egypt. This is understood when considering the scarcity of local research in the field, the lack of international research and the lack of consideration of the ecological dimension in the Egyptian industrial experience, despite its relatively long history. This documentary research contributes to answering this question through presenting a case study of which the authors were assigned the task of preparing its technical studies and urban plans. This case is an EIP located in the Asfan administrative center (AAC) in the Al-Jumum governorate, Saudi Arabia. To prepare the required study, the authors first reviewed available relevant literature looking for different concepts associated with industrial ecology and, more importantly, their physical/urban connotations. The authors also studied the AAC in terms of its locational and natural potentials/limits, the interregional supply and demand, the potentially competitive/integrative regional industrial peers, and the industrial national strategy in the Kingdom as a whole. In light of these studies, a general planning concept for the EIP in the AAC was prepared, followed by the preparation of detailed plans and urban design scheme for a selected area of 300 ha of the EIP's first implementation phase. The authors hope that this documentation serves as a reference for academics and practitioners to contribute to the discussion on the urban dimension of EIPs, stimulate further research to build knowledge internationally and, more importantly, raise local awareness towards more sustainable industrial development in Egypt.
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It is widely argued that the Greater Cairo Region (GCR) in Egypt suffers from failing urban commu... more It is widely argued that the Greater Cairo Region (GCR) in Egypt suffers from failing urban communities resulting partially from unresponsive services. The local discourse on urban services has not paid attention to the investigation of the provision process of services and its impact on community satisfaction and prosperity. In the Global South, there is an ongoing debate on the shortcomings of service provision and ways to improve them. Yet, emerging theoretical/conceptual approaches to the provision of urban services are not sufficiently comprehensive to explain processes of service provision worldwide and, arguably, cannot be because they cannot take account of local diversity. Consequently, this research investigates the impact of the process of service provision on community satisfaction and prosperity in GCR, Egypt. To help collect and analyze data, we constructed a conceptual framework of a potentially responsive process of service provision. We studied two privately developed middle- and upper-middle-income urban communities, using questionnaires with inhabitants and semi-structured interviews with relevant official representatives as well as documentary data sources. The research finds, in line with the Global South debate, that absent public participation, ineffective governmental institutions, pseudo-decentralization, and deficient regulations stand behind the failure of services, their lack of responsiveness, and low levels of community satisfaction. Yet, it also shows that community prosperity could be aided by, for example, private developers playing an active role in the provision process. Hence, community prosperity is not tied only to a specific set of institutional arrangements.
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In several occasions, the Egyptian government has announced its adoption of a comprehensive devel... more In several occasions, the Egyptian government has announced its adoption of a comprehensive developmental approach that seriously intends to better the living and urban conditions of informal settlers. The State has triggered a group of programs and projects that supposedly contribute to bringing the State's strategy into reality. However, a previous study (Elfoly & Shalaby, 2014) has shown that a state of separation/contradiction exists between these programs and the announced strategy, and, instead of the announced comprehensive developmental approach, an investment-based land management approach of informal areas has been brought into action. Therefore, an in-depth investigation of the process though which these programs are produced, along with its controlling value system, is a necessity.
Hence, this research poses a question: what is the production process of the informal housing programs, irrelevant to the announced strategy? And what is the value system which stands behind this process?
In order to answer this question, this qualitative research adopts documentary analysis approach to identify the official framework of this process, and a case study approach, where data is collected, triangulated and analyzed for three selected informal areas' projects aiming at understanding their actual production process and its controlling value system. Research methods used include documentary data resources, such as projects' TORs and official meetings' reports, and semi-structured interviews with projects' experts, official representatives and key persons to the field of informal areas in Egypt.
This research aims at developing the current process through understanding how it works and what values contribute to its current status, suggesting, thereafter, a set of remedial recommendations.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 22), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
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With the start of the new millennium, the Egyptian government has announced in several occasions ... more With the start of the new millennium, the Egyptian government has announced in several occasions that the informal areas' issue should be dealt with using a comprehensive developmental approach that tackles the roots of the issue not its urban symptoms, an approach that seriously intends to better the living conditions of informal settlers and, hence, their urban conditions. The State has triggered a group of programs and projects, some of which are urban, that supposedly contribute to bringing the State's strategy into reality. However, several critics doubt the ability of these programs to achieve their goals.
Hence, this research poses a question: do the informal areas' programs truly reflect the State's announced strategy? And if not, then, why do not they? This research believes that unless these programs reflect the strategy, it will not be more than a mere idea on a piece of paper.
In order to answer this question, this qualitative research adopts a case study approach, where data is collected, triangulated and analyzed for three selected informal areas' projects aiming at understanding their goals, how they relate to the announced State's strategy, and the reasons behind their contradiction, if present. Research methods used include documentary data resources, such as projects' TORs and official meetings' reports, and semi-structured interviews with projects' experts and official representatives, and key persons to the field of informal areas in Egypt.
This research is a part of a series that collectively aims at understanding and developing informal areas' programs and projects in Egypt, in order to bring about the announced State strategy. The series started with a previous research that constructed a conceptual-theoretical framework of how the programs could be successfully formed to effectively reflect the overarching strategy, and will continue on towards understanding the current process of forming programs, and its governing levers, to help contribute to the production of programs more capable of achieving the aims of the strategy.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 20), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
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Egypt has many river cities in which the Nile River plays a significant role in shaping its urban... more Egypt has many river cities in which the Nile River plays a significant role in shaping its urbanism. The waterfront of these cities stands as the nucleus of an arena in which a conflict takes place among an interrelated interconnected web of forces. The outcome of this city-scale conflict takes its utmost form in the city's waterfront. However, Egyptian waterfronts have not been well studied to effectively identify its boundaries, typologies, transformation patterns and shaping forces. This study is crucial if an effective urban management proposal of these waterfronts is sought.
This research stands as a first step towards understanding waterfront urbanism in Egypt. It constructs a conceptual/theoretical framework of how to identify waterfronts' boundaries, typologies and forces behind its urban transformations. To construct this framework, this theoretical paper critically reviews ample literature in the fields of urban planning and design, political economy, and urban management, analyzing and bringing together diverse concepts and theories.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 21), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
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According to the Water Stress Index, Egypt is one of the countries which suffers from water scarc... more According to the Water Stress Index, Egypt is one of the countries which suffers from water scarcity. This water issue is prone to get worse if necessary measures are not taken. Relevant to this issue is an international growing discourse on green urban communities which stand as a promising alternative to conventional ones in encompassing sustainability principles, including the increase in water use efficiency and the provision of extra pure water through collection, filtration and reuse processes.
The sound presence of this green communities approach entails studying the possibility of making use of its water component in Egypt so that its urban environment is prepared to play its role in abating this augmenting water issue. This is especially needed when considering the absence of a comprehensive integrated local approach for green solutions. Adopting the argument that an approach which works out in one place does not necessarily fit with another - due to differing environmental and social characteristics - this research poses the following two questions: what is the local system that could achieve the green use of water in Egyptian urban communities? And what are the factors shaping this contextual system?
To answer these questions, this qualitative research first builds a theoretical framework of green use of water from relevant international secondary resources available. Second, it presents and discusses this framework with selected local experts through semi-structured interviews using the Delphi Method towards distilling what could stand as the local system of green use of water in Egyptian urban communities, and defining the forces which govern its formation.
This research reaches a local system which puts the Egyptian built environment on its first steps towards the green use of water and it does that taking into consideration its unique contextual characteristics. Yet, the formed system has some shortcomings and some of its components are still debatable among experts. This entails further research to deal with these shortcomings through vividly addressing its shaping forces.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 24), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
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The Egyptian government has recently initiated a national strategic developmental plan, the aim o... more The Egyptian government has recently initiated a national strategic developmental plan, the aim of which is to combat poverty and, hence, develop the existing informal settlements and hinder the formation of others. To help fulfill this aim, the government has put in action a bundle of urban programs. Yet, examining the process through which these programs have been formulated is crucial for the realization of the strategic plan.
This paper contributes to this examination through forming a conceptual-theoretical framework of how urban programs could be successfully formed to effectively reflect overarching strategic developmental plans (yet, from a theoretical point of view). This framework is seen in this paper as a first step to take to help understand the Egyptian formulation process of urban programs directed to deal with existing informal settlements and hinder the foundation of others. The conceptual-theoretical framework targeted identifies the controlling value system, webs of possible components, actors and relationships generic to the process. These webs identified could, then, be used in further research to initially collect data relevant from the local Egyptian context.
To construct this framework, the paper critically reviews ample literature in the fields of planning and political economy, bringing together diverse concepts and theories.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 8), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
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Urban heat island (UHI) is a climatological phenomenon which represents the difference in air tem... more Urban heat island (UHI) is a climatological phenomenon which represents the difference in air temperature between urban areas, and its surrounding suburbs and undeveloped areas. UHI is considered as one of the major problems in the 21 st century posed to human beings as a result of high rates of urbanization. The large amount of heat generated from urban structures, as they absorb and re-radiate solar radiation, and from anthropogenic heat sources are main causes of UHI. In the ever-urbanizing Arab region, the intensifying UHI contributes to the increase of thermal discomfort of urban dwellers and, hence, the increase of their environmentally unsustainable practices. There is an utmost need, therefore, to study this phenomenon and investigate possible mitigation tools. This paper summarizes the significance of UHI, its major characteristics and its causes. More importantly, it attempts to form a conceptual framework of countermeasures, and urban design and planning parameters which help mitigate this phenomenon. In doing so, this theoretical study capitalizes on immense literature which has addressed the issue, yet, basically from a climatological point of view. It attempts to look at the subject from an urban design and planning point of view. The study, therefore, brings together two disciplines, climatology and cities design and planning, an attempt in the field of UHI that has been rarely tackled on the Arab region. The resulting collective conceptual framework is seen in this paper as a necessary first step towards deeper investigation into urban planning and design parameters which could help reduce the impact of UHI and, hence, create better quality of life in the Arab world.
Published in Journal of Urban Research JUR (Number 8), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University
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The debate over what could constitute a sustainable urban process, on one hand, is by no means re... more The debate over what could constitute a sustainable urban process, on one hand, is by no means resolved, and the need for more examples to enrich this debate is repeatedly expressed. On the other, lot of research shows that Arab Muslim traditional settlements are sustainable. And, their sustainable product is the outcome of a mature, structured society responsible for the delivery of a unique traditional urban process. This paper attempts to contribute to the debate on sustainable urban processes by supporting and, further, adding to one of its main arguments, the participatory, bottom-up process. In doing so, the paper constructs from dispersed literature a framework of the traditional process as well as of the sustainable process, shows apparent similarities, and discusses possible lessons that could be learnt from the traditional process in contemporary times, not only locally-which is of a great importance due to cultural continuum between past and present-but also internationally. The paper concludes that traditional processes are worth studying and learning from even if they are currently a part of the past.
Published in Lehmann S, AlWaer H, and Al-Qawasmi J (eds.) (2010) Sustainable Architecture & Urban Development, Volume III, pp.191-208. SAUD 2010: the Seventh International Conference of the Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region (CSAAR), July 12-14, 2010, Amman, Jordan.
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In the debate over what might constitute sustainable urban forms, three broad opinions have been ... more In the debate over what might constitute sustainable urban forms, three broad opinions have been expressed favouring the compact city, decentralised living or decentralised concentration. In this paper, I will argue that such a debate is not relevant to desert environments because desert environments have sensitive ecosystems and subsequently require sensitive human activity. In addition, their harshness requires the development of distinct urban forms that fully meet appropriate human needs. Following two years of research into the vernacular urban form of settlements in four Middle Eastern countries, a model of environmentally adaptive urban form design principles is suggested. The model suggests desert settlements be small in size; be built compactly; have integration between underground and aboveground spaces; and include interior courtyards, minimised spatial networks, buildings low in height, windbreaks and gates. They should maintain a balance between residential and non-residential uses; have dispersed services with a main linear centre; and utilise local materials. The paper would conclude that more consideration should be given to the nature of the environment to which a sustainable urban form is sought.
Published in the 2004 First Conference, Sustainable Architectural and Urban Development, Department of Architecture, Cairo University, 24-26 February 2004.
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Papers by aboulfetouh shalaby
Hence, this research poses a question: what is the production process of the informal housing programs, irrelevant to the announced strategy? And what is the value system which stands behind this process?
In order to answer this question, this qualitative research adopts documentary analysis approach to identify the official framework of this process, and a case study approach, where data is collected, triangulated and analyzed for three selected informal areas' projects aiming at understanding their actual production process and its controlling value system. Research methods used include documentary data resources, such as projects' TORs and official meetings' reports, and semi-structured interviews with projects' experts, official representatives and key persons to the field of informal areas in Egypt.
This research aims at developing the current process through understanding how it works and what values contribute to its current status, suggesting, thereafter, a set of remedial recommendations.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 22), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
Hence, this research poses a question: do the informal areas' programs truly reflect the State's announced strategy? And if not, then, why do not they? This research believes that unless these programs reflect the strategy, it will not be more than a mere idea on a piece of paper.
In order to answer this question, this qualitative research adopts a case study approach, where data is collected, triangulated and analyzed for three selected informal areas' projects aiming at understanding their goals, how they relate to the announced State's strategy, and the reasons behind their contradiction, if present. Research methods used include documentary data resources, such as projects' TORs and official meetings' reports, and semi-structured interviews with projects' experts and official representatives, and key persons to the field of informal areas in Egypt.
This research is a part of a series that collectively aims at understanding and developing informal areas' programs and projects in Egypt, in order to bring about the announced State strategy. The series started with a previous research that constructed a conceptual-theoretical framework of how the programs could be successfully formed to effectively reflect the overarching strategy, and will continue on towards understanding the current process of forming programs, and its governing levers, to help contribute to the production of programs more capable of achieving the aims of the strategy.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 20), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
This research stands as a first step towards understanding waterfront urbanism in Egypt. It constructs a conceptual/theoretical framework of how to identify waterfronts' boundaries, typologies and forces behind its urban transformations. To construct this framework, this theoretical paper critically reviews ample literature in the fields of urban planning and design, political economy, and urban management, analyzing and bringing together diverse concepts and theories.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 21), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
The sound presence of this green communities approach entails studying the possibility of making use of its water component in Egypt so that its urban environment is prepared to play its role in abating this augmenting water issue. This is especially needed when considering the absence of a comprehensive integrated local approach for green solutions. Adopting the argument that an approach which works out in one place does not necessarily fit with another - due to differing environmental and social characteristics - this research poses the following two questions: what is the local system that could achieve the green use of water in Egyptian urban communities? And what are the factors shaping this contextual system?
To answer these questions, this qualitative research first builds a theoretical framework of green use of water from relevant international secondary resources available. Second, it presents and discusses this framework with selected local experts through semi-structured interviews using the Delphi Method towards distilling what could stand as the local system of green use of water in Egyptian urban communities, and defining the forces which govern its formation.
This research reaches a local system which puts the Egyptian built environment on its first steps towards the green use of water and it does that taking into consideration its unique contextual characteristics. Yet, the formed system has some shortcomings and some of its components are still debatable among experts. This entails further research to deal with these shortcomings through vividly addressing its shaping forces.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 24), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
This paper contributes to this examination through forming a conceptual-theoretical framework of how urban programs could be successfully formed to effectively reflect overarching strategic developmental plans (yet, from a theoretical point of view). This framework is seen in this paper as a first step to take to help understand the Egyptian formulation process of urban programs directed to deal with existing informal settlements and hinder the foundation of others. The conceptual-theoretical framework targeted identifies the controlling value system, webs of possible components, actors and relationships generic to the process. These webs identified could, then, be used in further research to initially collect data relevant from the local Egyptian context.
To construct this framework, the paper critically reviews ample literature in the fields of planning and political economy, bringing together diverse concepts and theories.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 8), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
Published in Journal of Urban Research JUR (Number 8), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University
Published in Lehmann S, AlWaer H, and Al-Qawasmi J (eds.) (2010) Sustainable Architecture & Urban Development, Volume III, pp.191-208. SAUD 2010: the Seventh International Conference of the Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region (CSAAR), July 12-14, 2010, Amman, Jordan.
Published in the 2004 First Conference, Sustainable Architectural and Urban Development, Department of Architecture, Cairo University, 24-26 February 2004.
Hence, this research poses a question: what is the production process of the informal housing programs, irrelevant to the announced strategy? And what is the value system which stands behind this process?
In order to answer this question, this qualitative research adopts documentary analysis approach to identify the official framework of this process, and a case study approach, where data is collected, triangulated and analyzed for three selected informal areas' projects aiming at understanding their actual production process and its controlling value system. Research methods used include documentary data resources, such as projects' TORs and official meetings' reports, and semi-structured interviews with projects' experts, official representatives and key persons to the field of informal areas in Egypt.
This research aims at developing the current process through understanding how it works and what values contribute to its current status, suggesting, thereafter, a set of remedial recommendations.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 22), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
Hence, this research poses a question: do the informal areas' programs truly reflect the State's announced strategy? And if not, then, why do not they? This research believes that unless these programs reflect the strategy, it will not be more than a mere idea on a piece of paper.
In order to answer this question, this qualitative research adopts a case study approach, where data is collected, triangulated and analyzed for three selected informal areas' projects aiming at understanding their goals, how they relate to the announced State's strategy, and the reasons behind their contradiction, if present. Research methods used include documentary data resources, such as projects' TORs and official meetings' reports, and semi-structured interviews with projects' experts and official representatives, and key persons to the field of informal areas in Egypt.
This research is a part of a series that collectively aims at understanding and developing informal areas' programs and projects in Egypt, in order to bring about the announced State strategy. The series started with a previous research that constructed a conceptual-theoretical framework of how the programs could be successfully formed to effectively reflect the overarching strategy, and will continue on towards understanding the current process of forming programs, and its governing levers, to help contribute to the production of programs more capable of achieving the aims of the strategy.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 20), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
This research stands as a first step towards understanding waterfront urbanism in Egypt. It constructs a conceptual/theoretical framework of how to identify waterfronts' boundaries, typologies and forces behind its urban transformations. To construct this framework, this theoretical paper critically reviews ample literature in the fields of urban planning and design, political economy, and urban management, analyzing and bringing together diverse concepts and theories.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 21), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
The sound presence of this green communities approach entails studying the possibility of making use of its water component in Egypt so that its urban environment is prepared to play its role in abating this augmenting water issue. This is especially needed when considering the absence of a comprehensive integrated local approach for green solutions. Adopting the argument that an approach which works out in one place does not necessarily fit with another - due to differing environmental and social characteristics - this research poses the following two questions: what is the local system that could achieve the green use of water in Egyptian urban communities? And what are the factors shaping this contextual system?
To answer these questions, this qualitative research first builds a theoretical framework of green use of water from relevant international secondary resources available. Second, it presents and discusses this framework with selected local experts through semi-structured interviews using the Delphi Method towards distilling what could stand as the local system of green use of water in Egyptian urban communities, and defining the forces which govern its formation.
This research reaches a local system which puts the Egyptian built environment on its first steps towards the green use of water and it does that taking into consideration its unique contextual characteristics. Yet, the formed system has some shortcomings and some of its components are still debatable among experts. This entails further research to deal with these shortcomings through vividly addressing its shaping forces.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 24), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
This paper contributes to this examination through forming a conceptual-theoretical framework of how urban programs could be successfully formed to effectively reflect overarching strategic developmental plans (yet, from a theoretical point of view). This framework is seen in this paper as a first step to take to help understand the Egyptian formulation process of urban programs directed to deal with existing informal settlements and hinder the foundation of others. The conceptual-theoretical framework targeted identifies the controlling value system, webs of possible components, actors and relationships generic to the process. These webs identified could, then, be used in further research to initially collect data relevant from the local Egyptian context.
To construct this framework, the paper critically reviews ample literature in the fields of planning and political economy, bringing together diverse concepts and theories.
Published in the Journal of Urban Research (Number 8), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University (in Arabic)
Published in Journal of Urban Research JUR (Number 8), Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University
Published in Lehmann S, AlWaer H, and Al-Qawasmi J (eds.) (2010) Sustainable Architecture & Urban Development, Volume III, pp.191-208. SAUD 2010: the Seventh International Conference of the Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region (CSAAR), July 12-14, 2010, Amman, Jordan.
Published in the 2004 First Conference, Sustainable Architectural and Urban Development, Department of Architecture, Cairo University, 24-26 February 2004.