How to achieve liveable urban communities in Egypt

Abstract

The deterioration of urban development that Egypt has experienced in the last few decades is an obvious outcome of previous corrupt policies and unilateral decisions. Urban management is a multidisciplinary approach that aims to supercede urban growth through the cooperation of different groups in the process. It is a system that links urban growth with policies and procedures and connects decision makers and professionals with communities. One major challenge is Egypt’s increasing population which is expected to nearly double over the next 40 years. It is, therefore, an absolute must to begin revising urban growth policies and plans. New theories of urban management must be carefully examined and studied, and solutions must be developed sooner rather than later to help spare Egyptian urban communities from imminent disaster. Moreover, to make these communities liveable and sustainable, comprehensive management of their systems is essential. This paper argues that liveable mechanisms within urban management in Egypt would offer suitable solutions for their problems. The paper also aims to identify liveable urban community principles and to demonstrate how the concepts of liveability can enhance the quality of a city. Moreover, this paper will propose a tool for assessing urban growth and management in Egyptian cities and offer recommendations for further improvements to be incorporated into processes to achieve liveable communities. These proposals may pave the way for defining policies to help achieve liveability and to improve the quality of urban cities in Egypt.