Investigating and applying traditional urbanism principles to design a residential neighbourhood in Cairo

The urban fabric of cities of the Middle East has changed drastically in recent years. A lack of planning and urban design guidelines has led to sprawling cities suffering from pollution, a lack of green space, dilapidated infrastructure and congestion.Response to these critical issues has simply centered on design practices that create gated communities, which implement models that are alien and unsustainable in the region and fragment the urban fabric of the society. There is an increasing need to consider more relevant and sustainable solutions for the design of new settlements that build on the heritage of the region and objectively respond to present circumstances. This research aims to establish a series of design guidelines from which can evolve a more relevant and sustainable way of living.Therefore Fatimid Cairo, as an example of traditional urbanism of the region was studied and analyzed with the intention of interpreting emerging principles in a way relevant to the contemporary urban context.The research expanded to analyze other more contemporary neighbourhoods in Cairo as case studies. However,as these case studies lacked an integrated approach, the research extended beyond the Middle East to the work of the New Urbanism Movement, which recognized these principles as the basis for their own urban designs. This comprehensive analysis was the basis of a set of relevant design guidelines which derived from the context of the region and relevant contemporary urban designs around the world.Furthermore,these principles were tested through a schematic master plan design for an urban settlement located in New Cairo City. The project presents an alternative to current urban design practices in the region and will hopefully inspire others to consider a new approach to urban design in the Middle East.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

dphil

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Sakr, Mamdouh

• NA Pensaernïaeth

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:1413