The Role of Urban Space Configuration in Maintaining Social Inclusion: A Comparison of Four Types of Neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region-Egypt

Since the mid-twentieth century, the process of modernization caused an adaptation of westernized prototypes of residential neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region. This evolution caused a relevant evolution of various prototypes of urban spaces, an evolution from traditional neighborhoods where stree...

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Main Author: Islam Ghonimi Ghonimi
Format: Article
Language:Arabic
Published: Cairo University, Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning in Cooperation with The Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB). 2021-01-01
Series:Journal of Urban Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jur.journals.ekb.eg/article_135180.html
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author Islam Ghonimi Ghonimi
author_facet Islam Ghonimi Ghonimi
author_sort Islam Ghonimi Ghonimi
collection DOAJ
description Since the mid-twentieth century, the process of modernization caused an adaptation of westernized prototypes of residential neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region. This evolution caused a relevant evolution of various prototypes of urban spaces, an evolution from traditional neighborhoods where street works as public space to new planned neighborhoods that concern quantitative provision of urban spaces as internal gardens inside superblock. The evolution was attractive for residents who escaped crowded traditional neighborhoods and claimed quantitative provision of urban spaces with well-designed landscape to enjoy better living conditions. Egyptian National Organization for Urban Harmony developed urban space design guidelines, to ensure quantitative and accessibility criteria. However, observation of urban spaces in new cities revealed failure to host residents and probably have negative impacts on social inclusion, cohesion, and participation. One reason behind that failure is the lack of empirical knowledge of expected impacts of design guidelines on social behavior. This research examines social sustainability of urban space configuration in four prototypes of neighborhoods, it also questions how socially sustainable are NOUH2010 design guidelines. The research depends on ethnographic observation and questionnaire survey that were conducted in selected neighborhoods. The paper reports, based on empirical findings, that modern urban spaces with quantitative provision of urban-spaces, hierarchical distribution, merged and central location, good accessibility and well-designed landscape are short sighted to achieve urban social sustainability; rather qualitative mixed use is most influential factor to encourage social inclusion, interaction and participation as by-product of movement and as subsidiary to other attractive activities.
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spelling doaj.art-eba47cc25696410ca1af328aa2993c4e2023-06-02T10:56:56ZaraCairo University, Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning in Cooperation with The Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB).Journal of Urban Research2090-06942682-45152021-01-013917510410.21608/JUR.2021.30232.1002The Role of Urban Space Configuration in Maintaining Social Inclusion: A Comparison of Four Types of Neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region-EgyptIslam Ghonimi Ghonimi0department of architecture, shoubra faculty of engineering, benha universitySince the mid-twentieth century, the process of modernization caused an adaptation of westernized prototypes of residential neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region. This evolution caused a relevant evolution of various prototypes of urban spaces, an evolution from traditional neighborhoods where street works as public space to new planned neighborhoods that concern quantitative provision of urban spaces as internal gardens inside superblock. The evolution was attractive for residents who escaped crowded traditional neighborhoods and claimed quantitative provision of urban spaces with well-designed landscape to enjoy better living conditions. Egyptian National Organization for Urban Harmony developed urban space design guidelines, to ensure quantitative and accessibility criteria. However, observation of urban spaces in new cities revealed failure to host residents and probably have negative impacts on social inclusion, cohesion, and participation. One reason behind that failure is the lack of empirical knowledge of expected impacts of design guidelines on social behavior. This research examines social sustainability of urban space configuration in four prototypes of neighborhoods, it also questions how socially sustainable are NOUH2010 design guidelines. The research depends on ethnographic observation and questionnaire survey that were conducted in selected neighborhoods. The paper reports, based on empirical findings, that modern urban spaces with quantitative provision of urban-spaces, hierarchical distribution, merged and central location, good accessibility and well-designed landscape are short sighted to achieve urban social sustainability; rather qualitative mixed use is most influential factor to encourage social inclusion, interaction and participation as by-product of movement and as subsidiary to other attractive activities.https://jur.journals.ekb.eg/article_135180.htmlurban spaceurban social sustainabilitysocial cohesionsocial inclusionsocial participationnational organization for urban harmony (nouh)
spellingShingle Islam Ghonimi Ghonimi
The Role of Urban Space Configuration in Maintaining Social Inclusion: A Comparison of Four Types of Neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region-Egypt
Journal of Urban Research
urban space
urban social sustainability
social cohesion
social inclusion
social participation
national organization for urban harmony (nouh)
title The Role of Urban Space Configuration in Maintaining Social Inclusion: A Comparison of Four Types of Neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region-Egypt
title_full The Role of Urban Space Configuration in Maintaining Social Inclusion: A Comparison of Four Types of Neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region-Egypt
title_fullStr The Role of Urban Space Configuration in Maintaining Social Inclusion: A Comparison of Four Types of Neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region-Egypt
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Urban Space Configuration in Maintaining Social Inclusion: A Comparison of Four Types of Neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region-Egypt
title_short The Role of Urban Space Configuration in Maintaining Social Inclusion: A Comparison of Four Types of Neighborhoods in Greater Cairo Region-Egypt
title_sort role of urban space configuration in maintaining social inclusion a comparison of four types of neighborhoods in greater cairo region egypt
topic urban space
urban social sustainability
social cohesion
social inclusion
social participation
national organization for urban harmony (nouh)
url https://jur.journals.ekb.eg/article_135180.html
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