Future fortunes

Hisham Youssef
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Once a flourishing city on the banks of the Nile, Cairo has today arguably grown to become one of the ugliest urban metropolises in the world.

Construction in the city has long gone unchecked, while the semblance of regulations that existed have been poorly enforced. Those who can afford it have fled to the lush gated compounds on the outskirts of Cairo, but the majority of residents still live in the cacophonous metropolis.

While there have been commendable efforts to revitalise parts of the old city like al-Darb al-Ahmar, thanks to individual actions of many who care, and support by organisations like the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, there is still no overall vision. As the most populous capital in Africa and the Arab world, Cairo deserves better.

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There is an urgent need to develop a Vision for the City – Cairo 2030. This must be a bold overall strategic and cohesive vision, within the ring road and not just downtown. Cairo is expected to have a population of close to 30 million by 2030 and the government needs to take responsiblity for the mess the city has become. This is about both national pride and heritage which, once gone, are irreplaceable.

While there are efforts by government bodies to develop ideas for the revitalisation of Khedival Cairo, and by the National Organisation for Urban Harmony, to develop guidelines for the ‘beautification’ of the modern downtown, these efforts remain separate. They are necessary, but a cohesive integrated solution for the entire metropolis is urgently required beyond the CBD. In order to achieve these goals, the government must get serious.

Cairo needs to create a semi-governmental corporate body, I propose the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), to be responsible for facilitating the re-development of existing buildings, and mediating between investors and the city agencies and municipalities. The government can therefore create both the right environment for development and restoration, as well as for investment.

A critical ingredient to the proposed UDC remit is to empower it to be the sole conduit for coordinating the various efforts and agencies, to ensure a cohesive approach and make developments financially viable.

The government must set the stage for sustainable developments by the private sector, but no funding will be required. With well over 15 million people in Cairo, the government’s efforts are better served focusing on infrastructure, education and healthcare.

The real role for the government is to demonstrate leadership through vision and enforcement. Such efforts will go a long way to restore lost credibility, and provide clarity for developers architects to shape the 2030 vision.

Cairo is not a tabula rasa like, say, Dubai or Doha. The task is a complex one given that the city is inhabited and densely developed already. It will be no walk in the park, but Cairo must start now, before it is too late.

Hisham Youssef is an architect at Gensler, responsible for the firm’s projects in Egypt and North Africa.