Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4.3 The Developing World Urbanisation: Informalisation
Informal growth is the dominating pattern in the urbanisation process all
over the developing world. It is how people meet their needs when their
governments fail to do so. Informalisation can be defined as 'a process which
is unregulated by the institutions of society in a legal and social environ-
ment in which similar activities are regulated' [4].
Roy states that there are two different perspectives dominating debates
about informality. The first one is derived from the 'Urban 21 Report' pub-
lished in
Urban Future 21: A Global Agenda for 21st Century
by Sir Peter Hall
and Ulrich Pfeiffer. They see informally growing cities as deteriorating,
decaying and uncontrolled. The second perspective is pioneered by
Hernando De Soto in
The Mystery of Capital
(2000), where he considers
informality as a heroic adventure. He views an informal economy as
people's natural and creative reaction to government inefficiency in sup-
plying basic needs for the poor. However, these two perspectives represent
two antidotes, where neither is solely true in itself. Instead, informal-
ity can be seen as a pattern for urbanisation instead of being an adver-
sary of the formal sector, providing a promising resource instead of a
catastrophe [5].
A recent definition of informal areas in Egypt is 'all what is self-built,
whether single or multi storey buildings or shacks, in the absence of law and
urban regulations enforcement. They are areas built on land not allocated
for construction as specified in the city urban plan. Despite the fact that the
buildings' conditions may be good, they might be unsafe environmentally
and socially, and or lacking basic infrastructure and services' [6].
There are mainly two types of informal areas: squatter areas and informal
subdivisions. Squatter areas are mainly chaotic, unplanned and marginal;
informal subdivisions are subdivided land with legal ownership, but that
lack infrastructure and areas for public services and uses [7].
In Egypt, the general classification of informal areas includes the infor-
mal areas built on agricultural land and areas built on desert land (the two
main patterns of informal areas) in addition to shacks and environmentally
unsafe areas.
4.3.1 Informal Areas Built on Agricultural Land
These areas are illegal because they are built on agricultural land not
allocated for construction, and they defy the banning of mixed uses as speci-
fied by law. Their general characteristics are: (a) narrow long streets with a
width of no more than 4-5 meters, some even with dead ends; (b) regular
block shapes according to agricultural basins subdivisions; and (c) housing
units having constant depth but with different street frontage. Heights are
according to owner's affordability.
