The Impacts of the Physical Settings and Human Activities

The Impacts of the Physical Settings and Human Activities

A Comparative Analysis of Istabl Antar and Zeinhum Developed Housing Areas

Ahmed Hassan Abayazeed Hassan

Supervisors:

Ghada Farouk, Professor of Urban Design and Planning - Ain Shams University Astrid Ley, Professor of International Urbanism - Stuttgart University Abeer Elshater, Associate Professor of Urban Design - Ain Shams University

Abstract

The importance of this research emerges from the shortening of the residential urban spaces within developed housing projects provided by the government, built for people who used to live in Cairo’s informal settlements to encourage outdoor human activities compared to these in informal settlements. This raises the issue of the partial responsibility of the physical

settings for that. This research aims to examine the relation between these physical settings of residential urban spaces and the related outdoor human activities in Cairo’s informal settlements. In order to reach that, an ideal theoretical framework is developed through examining the components of this relation and their mutual impacts. Afterwards, a case study methodology is developed where the concluded framework is applied, within a comparative analysis, on the Istabl Antar settlement, one of Cairo’s informal settlements, and the Zeinhum developed housing area, one of the Cairo’s planned areas built for relocating residents who used to live in a former informal settlement in the same place. Eventually, the research reaches a set of key findings which are listed to be put into consideration when developing Cairo’s informal settlements.

Keywords: Urban spaces, Residential areas, informal settlements, Outdoor activities, Cairo, Istabl Antar, Zeinhum

Introduction

Around 40% of Cairo’s population lives in informal settlements as estimated by the Ministry of Housing (Tadamun, 2014a). This will continue so far in the future although adopting a range of policies and legislations by the Egyptian government to slow down and limit the growth of informal settlements (ibid). The government and the policymakers see informal settlements as a huge problem which should be treated as a temporary one that should eventually be demolished or just raised to a standard and legalized state (Mostafa 2013). The best way, from their point of view, to deal with these settlements is to demolish them and resettle the residents in new housing projects influenced by concepts related to European housing for nuclear families. These approaches rely on the built environments and their aesthetics without relating them to the human side represented in human activities and needs. On the other hand, some researchers (Hernández 2013; Roy 2009) consider informal settlements as an asset where poor people make use of their limited resources through an alternative way of space production to solve their housing problem. AlSayyad (1993) perceives these settlements as a creative and innovative way to enhance the daily life where informality became ‘a way of life’. Shehayeb (2009) sees informal settlements as a context full of a lot of advantages for the living. One of these advantages is that the physical environment in informal settlements, in contrast to planned residential areas built by the government, enhances the community building process by increasing opportunities for the residents to meet and know each other and, subsequently, creating more liveable urban spaces full of activities (ibid).

Out of that paradox, the main research question which raises itself is: How do the physical settings1 of residential urban spaces2 in Cairo’s informal settlements help in making these spaces more liveable and more encouraging for outdoor activities3 than those introduced by the government for the resettlement of residents who used to live in similar informal settlements? Subsequently, this research aims to investigate the relation between the physical settings of residential urban spaces in Cairo’s informal settlements and outdoor human activities. In order to answer the research question, the research adopts an application-led approach based on developing a theoretically ideal framework used in a comparative analysis of two case studies in Cairo. The first case study is the Istabl Antar informal settlement. The second case study is Zeinhum, one of the developed housing areas supported by the government to resettle residents who used to live in an informal settlement in the same place.

The Relation between the Physical Settings of Residential Urban Spaces and Human Activities in Cairo’s Informal Settlements

Outdoor human activities, in general, are affected by a number of factors. Among these factors, only the physical settings component is the easily manageable factor that influences the activities to a varying degree and in many different ways (Gehl, 2001), (Elshater, 2015). It is important to know that the physical settings have no direct impact on the strength, quality, and content of the social contacts. This type of contacts becomes deeper and meaningful through common problems or background interests between the neighbours in residential areas. The crucial and the direct impact of the physical settings lies in creating possibilities and opportunities for other modest and functional contacts like hearing, seeing and meeting people (ibid). These modest contacts are considered as the trigger and the background for others forms of contact and, subsequently, for stronger activities performed as a result of these contacts. Life between buildings or the liveability of an urban space represents these low-intensity contacts. These contacts are valuable both as separate contact forms and as preconditions for other more complex interplays (ibid). By analysing residential urban spaces within Cairo’s informal settlements in the light of the discussed relation, it is found that this relation is mutual. This mutuality could be interpreted as a result of lack of local authority control and the absence of building codes and regulations where the resident’s activities have impacts on the physical settings. For that, it provides, to an extent, a real representation of the needs of people which are related to outdoor activities. Table 1 gives a condensed overview of this mutual relation in Cairo’s informal settlements which is considered as a basic framework for the comparative analysis between the two case studies.

The Physical Settings of Residential Urban Spaces The Mutual Impacts of the Physical Settings of Residential Urban Spaces in Cairo’s informal Settlements and the Outdoor Activities

The Impacts of the Physical Settings on the Outdoor Activities The Impacts of the Outdoor Activities on the Physical Settings

Land Use

• The presence of mixed-uses in these settlements leads to increasing the pedestrian traffic and the presence of the residents in the space. This increases the contacts between the residents and creates vibrant spaces with more opportunities for more activities. • The need for economic activities forces the residents to introduce shops and simple goods displays in inner streets and bigger shops at the entrances of the settlements.

Urban Morphological Elements

Building Structures

Plot Pattern

A. Distribution and Area of Indoor Spaces • Limited private spaces inside the residential unit force the residents to make use of the near urban space and also close windows most of the day, seeking privacy. This increases opportunities for outdoor activities and reduces activities related to contacts through windows of the ground floor.

B. The Vertical Growth of the building structure • The density of the space users increases by the increase in the number of inhabitants. • The social activities increase by the increase in the number of relatives coming from core villages to live in new upper constructed stories. • Offering shade and protection against sun rays in hot summer attracts different human activities because of their thermal comfort conditions and preferable micro-climate. • The continuous vertical growth leads to reducing the contact between residents living in upper floors higher than the fifth floor and events taking place in the residential urban space and, thus, the number of related activities declines.

C. The Robustness of the Building Structure • Facilitating the increase in the number of the non-residential uses, hence the increase in outdoor activities related to them. • The need for economic activities pushes the residents to change and modify the uses at the ground floor easily and freely. Converting a room at the ground floor into a shop or a workshop is an example of these impacts.

A. The Length of the Building’s Façade

B. Shape of the Plot Pattern • N/A

• N/A

• Narrow façades and the short distance between entrances increase the possibilities for meeting and activities to take place. • N/A

• Reducing permeability, as a result of plot deformation, increases residential activities in inner streets and creates a safe environment from strangers. • N/A

The Physical Settings of Residential Urban Spaces The Mutual Impacts of the Physical Settings of Residential Urban Spaces in Cairo’s informal Settlements and the Outdoor Activities

The Impacts of the Physical Settings on the Outdoor Activities The Impacts of the Outdoor Activities on the Physical Settings

Street Pattern

A. Block Size and the Continuity • Greater blocks resulted from attaching plots mean fewer choices of paths and a less permeable environment which lead to an increase in residential activities in inner streets and provide safe spaces protected from outsiders.

B. The shape of the Street/ Urban Space • Encouraging residential activities in inner deformed streets because of the less permeability which provides safe spaces not penetrated by strangers.

C. Width of the Street/ Urban Space • Narrow streets push towards intensified human contact, hence the more developed activities. Wider streets usually attract economic activities as they are more permeable for the outsiders.

D. Vehicular Accessibility E. Location of the Street/ Urban Space • Streets located at the entrances of the settlements near transportation hubs and main streets usually host relatively bigger economic activities.

However, in inner streets, residential activities are the dominant besides very small economic activities.

The Physical Components of the Urban Space

The Base

Vertical Planes

A. Using Levels

B. The material and Paving • Choosing suitable materials for paving increases the safety within the space and encourages activities to take place. • Some inner streets are paved and tiled by the residents themselves to enhance their environment to be capable of hosting their various activities.

A. Concentration and Orientation of the Openings

B. Number of Active Exchange Zones

C. Height of the Windows’ Sills at the ground floor

The ceiling of the space

Landsca pe Furnitur e

A. Softscape Elements • Sometimes trees are used as sunshades for people to sit or stand below. • Taking care of trees through pruning or watering is an opportunity for the presence in the space which leads to growing contacts and activities. • Shop owners and residents introduce these kinds of sunshades to provide preferable thermal conditions for their outdoor activities.

B. Hardscape Elements 1. Seating Elements

2. Lighting Units

3. Drinking Water Units • N/A

• N/A

• Outdoor activities and neighbours’ contacts flourish as a result of poor vehicles’ accessibility.

• The existing levels in some settlements, which are built on a desert land, create difficulties in the accessibility and contact and, subsequently, decrease the opportunities for activities to take place. • N/A

• N/A

• N/A

• N/A

• The dominant orientation towards the space enables residents to follow the life on the street and meet each other during the daily activities. • N/A

• Increasing the number of active exchange zones (i.e. shops, goods displayed on the wall, etc.) increases activities related to these zones.

• More activities take place in front of open windows with low sills on ground floors because of possible contacts.

• The existence of covers and sunshades in some areas, especially near shops, attracts residents to sit or stand for a longer time and, thus, opportunities for activities are created. • Shop owners and residents introduce these kinds of sunshades to provide preferable thermal conditions for their outdoor activities and to protect their goods.

• Primary seating, “Mastaba”, and secondary seating, like stoops, provides the residents with a comfortable place to sit and watch activities done by the neighbours who act as a trigger for further contacts and activities.

• Lighting units at night are a very important condition for activities to take place at night.

• Attracting thirsty passers-by to stop and drink some water, especially in summer, and also the daily follow-up for the water vessels are activities which could develop to other advanced social activities. • Residents introduce such zones under the need of economic activities.

• Sometimes the residents block or close windows of more private spaces on ground floors, seeking privacy.

• These elements are introduced by the residents in order to prepare the space for sitting and staying outside their dwellings.

• Some of these units are introduced by the residents near entrances, shops and seating units where most of the activities take place at night.

• Usually, these units are introduced by the residents near entrances, shops, and mosques for the easy follow-up.

Table 1: The mutual impacts of the physical settings of residential urban spaces in Cairo’s informal settlements and outdoor human activities, Source: Author

The Comparative Analysis of the Two Case Studies

In order to answer the research question, two case studies were selected for comparison. The first one is the Istabl Antar settlement, one of Cairo’s informal settlements built on desert land (see figures 1 and 3). It is located in Zahra’a Misr Al Qadima, one of Cairo’s districts. The settlement was established in mid-1980s (El Mouelhi,

2014). The first migrants came from villages of Upper Egypt governorates like Assiut and Sohag. Construction processes in the nearby formal areas are among the factors attracting the labour force to come and dwell in the settlement. The second case study is the Zeinhum developed housing area. Before the development project, the area was one of the largest informal settlements in Egypt. It is located in the South-Eastern part of Cairo and administratively belongs to Sayyida Zaynab district of Cairo Governorate. It occupies an area of 50 feddans. The project idea started in 1988 when the Egyptian Red Crescent Society (RCS) was delegated to develop the area. It was decided, from the beginning, that the project will depend on donations from businessmen under the followup of Cairo governorate (Khadr and Bulbul 2011; Tadamun 2014b). The whole old informal settlement was demolished and the area was rebuilt with new modern residential blocks, wide urban spaces, green areas, and services (see figures 2 and 4). In order to map and analyse the mutual impacts of the physical settings and the human activities in the residential urban spaces in both case studies, the strategy used is divided into two main stages. The first one is the data collection stage where a desktop research, site visits and observation are used as collecting data methods. By going through this – the site visits and observation method – the researcher used four different tools for observation. The first tool is mapping where the different components of the physical settings and the activities taking place in the urban spaces are put on printed, prepared maps. The second tool used is photographing where pictures of the physical components of the urban space and the activities taking place were taken to be used in the analysis phase afterwards. The third tool is ‘keeping a diary’1 which is a tool of noting activities and related observations in real time. This tool was used in dealing with the physical components of a certain residential urban space selected to be analysed in each case study (see figures 5 and 6). The fourth used tool is interviews where two types of interviews were conducted within the two case studies. Unstructured interviews were conducted with the residents to investigate how they deal with components of the physical settings and how they are maintained as well as investigate the reasons behind some observed activities. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the designer and planner of the Zeinhum developed housing area where the asked questions aimed to investigate the rationale behind using certain approaches and reasons for the existence of some of the physical elements. At the end, an analysing data stage was reached where all the data collected for each case study using methods and tools was discussed, by referring to the theoretical framework developed, to reach the main findings and the conclusion of the research.

Figure 2: The urban pattern of Zeinhum Source: Google Earth

Figure 1 : The urban pattern of Istabl Antar Source: Google Earth

Figure 3: A map showing the accumulated positions of all people in Al-Haggana street (the selected residential urban space in Istabl Antar) on Sunday 14 June 2015 - from 09:30 till 18:30. Source: Author

Figure 4: A map showing the accumulated positions of all people in the chosen residential urban space in Zeinhum on Wednesday 10 June 2015 - from 09:30 till 18:30. Source: Author

Findings of the Comparative Analysis

All the research findings could be seen in the light of the existence of certain qualities related to the physical settings of residential urban spaces which encourage and support outdoor human activities. The presence of most of these qualities within the Istabl Antar settlement, while the absence of most of them within the Zeinhum area, could refer to the physical settings-related reasons of why residential urban spaces in Istabl Antar are more liveable and full of activities than that in Zeinhum. These qualities are illustrated in table 2.

Table 2: Qualities related to physical settings that encourage and support outdoor human activities in relation to Istabl Antar and Zeinhum, Source: the author

The Physical Qualities within How do thesequalities appear in How do thesequalities appear in Remarks Settings of these settings Istabl Antar Settlement Zeinhum Developed Housing Area Residential Urban encouraging Spaces outdoor activities

Urban Morphological Elements Land Use

Building Structures Mixed-uses Mixed-uses are dominant.

Applying the ‘front/ back’ concept on the residential units on the ground floor The ‘front/back’ concept is not applied in the residential unit in most cases because of the limited indoorareas.

Plot Pattern

Street/ Urban Space Pattern Presence of continuous vertical growth of the building structure Robustness of the building structure Narrow building’s façade The tendency of some dwellings to add more stories exists.

Robust building structures are dominant due to lack of unified image and regulations. Narrow façades are dominant because of the small plots.

Deformed plot pattern

Most of the plot patterns are deformed because of the local topography. Bigger block size Blocks are great as a result of the attached dwellings.

Deformed street/ urban space Most of the streets are deformed because of the local topography. Mixed-uses do not exist while segregation of uses is dominant.

The ‘front/back’ concept is not applied in the design of the residential unit.

This kind of growth does not exist as adding more stories is prohibited.

The building structures are not robust because of the unified external image and the existing regulations. Façades are wide because of the big perimeter of the buildings and their maximum exposure to the surrounding. Uniformity of the plot patterns is dominant.

Blocks are smaller as they are formed by attaching two or three buildings. Uniform shape of the urban spaces is dominant. Limited illegal exceptions in introducing non-residential uses in Zeinhum. Limited indoor areas are not considered to be of quality because of their negativity as in this case, where activities taking place as a result of that are not accompanied by satisfaction. Limited illegal exceptions in introducing ineffective light structures on the roofs in Zeinhum.

Street/ urban space of small width Poor vehicular accessibility

The Physical Components of

The Base No change in the Urban Space levels Suitable materials for paving Most of the streets are of small width because of the competition over resources. Poor vehicular accessibility is one of the characteristics of the settlement.

Slight changes in levelsexist in the Al-Haggana street.

The rocky surface and lack of paving are mostly dominant in AlHaggana street. All the urban spaces are of big width.

Vehicular accessibility is poor because of the low vehicular traffic within the area.

In the studied urban space, the slight changes in the ground level are not effective because of the presence of a ramp in front of the entrance of each building. The selected urban space is fully paved with tiles. All the green patches are eroded. Limited numbers of vehicles enter the residential urban spaces in Zeinhum.

Only two spaces within the whole Al-Haggana street are paved.

The Physical

Settings of Residential Urban Spaces Vertical Planes

Qualities within these settings encouraging outdoor activities Concentration and orientation of the openings towards the urban spaces. The existence of active exchange zones Low windows’ sills on the ground floor

The Ceiling of the Space Landscape Furniture The existence of sun shades and covers The existence of softscape elements

The existence of seating elements

The existence of lighting units

The existence of water drinking units How do thesequalities appear in Istabl Antar Settlement How do thesequalities appear in Zeinhum Developed Housing Area Remarks

The most dominant orientation of openings is towards Al-Haggana street. Half the units belonging to the eight surrounding buildings do not overlook the studied urban space.

A big number of active exchange zones exist in Al-Haggana street.

Most of the window’s sills of the ground floors overlooking AlHaggana street are low.

Some covers and sunshades exist in some areas within Al-Haggana street. Limited softscape elements exist in Al-Haggana street.

Primary seating represented in “Mastaba” and secondary seating, like stoops and short walls exist in Al-Haggana street.

Lighting units are hanged over most of the entrances and shops in Al-Haggana street. Some water drinking units exist in Al-Haggana street. No active exchange zones between the street and the façades exist in the studied urban space. All windows of the ground floor, in the selected urban space, have low sills except those of kitchens and bathrooms.

The whole studied urban space is open to the sky.

In the studied urban space, most of the softscape elements have no functional value but an aesthetic value.Some activities related to taking care emerged due to lack of maintenance. Primary seating, represented in the pergola and the surrounding seating units, and secondary seating, like the differences in the ground levels, exist in the studied urban space. Lighting units are nearly hanged over most of the entrances in the studied urban space. No water drinking units exist in the studied urban space. It was observed that most of these windows in both cases are either closed or blocked, seeking privacy. In order to activate this quality, the ‘front/ back’ concept should be applied.

On the other hand, the outdoor human activities have impacts on some features of the physical settings of residential urban spaces in Istabl Antar and, to an extent, in Zeinhum. This is mainly done through the conscious adaptation made by the residents themselves to fit their requirements and needed activities or just as a result of the ongoing use (see table 3).

Table 3: The impacts of outdoor activities on the physical settings of residential urban spaces in Istabl Antar and Zeinhum,Source: Author

The Physical Settings of The Impacts of Outdoor Activities on the Physical Settings of Residential Urban Spaces

Residential Urban Spaces In Istabl Antar Informal Settlement In Zeinhum Developed Housing Area

Urban Morphological Elements

Land Use The need for economic activities and sources for income generation force the residents to adopt mixeduses freely.

Building Structures Tiny shops on the ground floor of the residential structures and small kiosks are introduced in inner streets. Relatively bigger shops, workshops, and cafés are introduced at the entrance of the settlement and near the Ring Road. The need for economic activities forces the residents to introduce limited non-residential uses illegally.

A limited number ofkiosks were illegally introduced in the residential urban spaces.

The Physical Settings of Residential Urban Spaces The Impacts of Outdoor Activities on the Physical Settings of Residential Urban Spaces

In Istabl Antar Informal Settlement In Zeinhum Developed Housing Area

It was observed that some residents in the settlement convert rooms on the ground floor into shops where they could sell some simple goods through windows as a result of the need for economic activities.

Plot Pattern N/A A limited number of residents illegally convert rooms on the ground floors into shops where they could sell some simple goods through windows without affecting the unified external image of the façades as a result of the need for economic activities. N/A

Street/ Urban Space Pattern N/A N/A

The Physical Components of the Urban Space

The Base Only two spaces within the whole of Al-Haggana street are paved and mainly by external donations through local NGOs to create a better and safe spaces for the ongoing outdoor activities. Vertical Planes Active exchange zones are introduced on the façades by the residents because of the need for economic activities and income generation sources. The outdoor activities force most of the residents on the ground floors to block or close windows of private inner spaces, seeking privacy and protection against pry as all ofthem are of low sills.

The Ceiling of the Space

Landscape Furniture Shop owners and residents introduce sunshades and covers to provide preferable thermal conditions for their outdoor activities and goods protection. Residents introduce only three trees in the whole street to offer shade and for their aesthetic value.

Primary seating units are introduced by the residents in order to prepare the space for sitting and staying outside their dwellings. Lighting units are mostly introduced by the residents near entrances, shops, and seating units where most of the activities take place at night.

Conclusion

Water drinking units are introduced by the residents near entrances, shops for the easy follow-up. Some of the tiles are broken or lost because of the continued use and lack of maintenance.

N/A

The outdoor activities force most of the residents on the ground floors to block or close windows of private inner spaces, seeking privacy and protection against pry as all of them are of low sills. N/A

Most of the fenced green areas patches are in a good condition because of the residents’ follow-up.

Seating elements are in a bad condition because of the residents’ abuse and lack of maintenance.

The residents started to extend wires from their residential units and introduced lighting units only on the façades having entrances where most of the contacts and activities take place during the night while the other façades are kept dark. N/A

The government sees informal settlements as an unwanted phenomenon whose physical settings are useless, worthless and should be totally demolished. This is because of the inability and the shortening related to lack of services and infrastructure, and the bad housing conditions. Although these shortcomings are totally admitted, it is important to adopt an objective position not only to admit the settled negatives but also to find out the existing positives. However, evidences mentioned by this research point to the fact that these settlements have some positives and values and are considered as proof of the residents’ creativity to achieve their real human needs. This research highlights one of these values which is the vital and liveable residential urban spaces. This kind of liveability is apparent when compared to the physical settings of Zeinhum, provided by the government, to resettle people who used to live in a former informal settlement. This kind of new settings is affected by the functionalist approaches criticized by many planners and architects. This is a push towards rethinking the relation between the physical settings of residential urban spaces and outdoor activities in Cairo’s informal settlements, and looking at it with local eyes depending on empirical logic based on observation of such local patterns. This may draw attention towards rethinking policies adopted by the government regarding developing

informal settlements through demolishing these settlements and building new housing projects which adopt imported inappropriate approaches. This could be done either through adopting approaches which make use of and maximize the positives within the existing physical settings and addressing the related negatives and shortcomings, or through introducing new physical settings comprising qualities which already exist within informal settlements. This imposes on those in charge of the development of any informal settlement to examine and investigate these settlements, not only in terms of socio-economic aspects but also in terms of their physical settings and patterns of outdoor activities. In spite of what is often mentioned about Cairo’s informal settlements and their physical settings which are seen as fruitless, worthless and should totally be destroyed, these settings help in making residential urban spaces within these settlements more liveable and more encouraging for outdoor activities than those introduced by the government and designed by architects. For that reason, it is important to look at these settlements respectfully as a source for learning rather than a burden that should be got rid of.

Endnotes

[1] The physical settings of residential urban spaces is understood by going through two main components. The first component is urban morphology which is, according to Carmona et al. (2003), the study of the form and shape of settlements. According to Conzen (1960), four key elements should be considered when studying this component which are: land uses, building structures, plot pattern, and street pattern. The second component is determined by the physical components of the urban space which are, according to Abdel Moniem (2006), the base, the vertical planes, the ceiling and the landscape furniture including hardscape and softscape elements. [2] Urban space is defined, according to Krier (1979:15), by stating that “[i]f we wish to clarify the concept of urban space without imposing aesthetic criteria, we are compelled to designate all types of space between buildings in town and other localities as urban space”. By understanding the previous definition, it could be said that ‘Residential Urban

Spaces’ are all types of spaces between buildings in residential areas including streets and alleys, which is the definition adopted in this research. [3] Karpatschof (2000) defines the specific term ‘Human Activity’ as “the societally-formed life process realized through the actions of the individuals participating in it”. Gehl (2001) categorizes outdoor human activities taking place in urban spaces into three activities groups: necessary activities, optional activities, and social activities. [4] ‘Keeping a diary’ is a tool for mapping outdoor human activities developed by Jan Gehl and Birgitte Svarre in their book:

‘How to Study Public Life’ published in 2013.

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