Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
implementing, and coordinating action and contributes to achieving the
MDGs. The project adopts a decentralised and integrated approach to
address three main substantive areas: shelter, basic urban services and local
economic development—along with environment, governance and vulner-
ability as additional crosscutting areas. Because the project design is built
mainly on sustainable development, through a participatory process, local
stakeholders prepare a strategic urban plan for the following two decades
with priority actions to improve housing conditions, urban services and
local economy. All gathered data are compiled in urban observatories to
contribute to the effective management of urban policy [3].
The process of SUP in all cities in Egypt depends mainly on identifying
development projects as the main drivers for achieving future vision and
objectives. An initial list of projects is proposed based on feedback from local
stakeholders and on current needs identified in the city profile. Stakeholders
are divided into four groups representing local administration, local popular
council, community-based organisations and the private sector. These four
groups are asked to identify priority projects according to their perspectives,
and then responses are compiled to consolidate priorities. First priority proj-
ects are those that the four groups have identified as priority; second priority
projects are those that three groups have identified as priority and so forth
for third and fourth priority. The strategic development plan focuses on first
and second priority projects as the main drivers for achieving development
objectives [4].
It is important to utilise the strategic planning process with its participa-
tory methodology to improve quality of life in cities based on the stakehold-
ers' subjective rating of categories defining their quality of life. However, it is
obvious that until now there has been no concern with energy efficiency as
an aspect of sustainability. However, this can be correlated with the current
low quality of services in Egyptian cities; hence, they are more concerned
with their more vital needs.
5.3 Building New Communities in Desert Areas
During the 1970s, Egyptian state envisioned developing new cities to accom-
modate the ever growing urban population (mainly Cairo) in more appro-
priate environments in the desert areas surrounding cities or on major
development corridors [5]. The first generation included 10th of Ramadan,
15th of May, 6th of October, and Sadat City in the Greater Cairo metropolitan
area. Although all new urban communities (NUCs) have been planned as
self-sustaining since the late 1970s, they have not yet reached their planned
capacities. Moreover, they currently serve either as dorm cities or only work-
places for different groups, increasing daily commuting. This is evident in
