Berlin University of Technology School VI Planning Building - Environment Department of Architecture
“The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo� Summer School from September 30th to October 9th 2011
WANACU
West Asia North Africa Cooperation Unit
Ain Shams University Faculty of Engineering Department of Urban Planning and Design
Contact: Tooska Mosavat, Daniel Karsch, Hassan El-Mouelhi WANACU (West Asia North Africa Cooperation Unit) School VI: Planning - Building - Environment Technische Universitaet Berlin (TU Berlin) Sekr. CAR-B2, Carnotstr. 1a, 10587 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30 / 314-78521 Fax: +49 (0)30 / 31478520 wanacu@tu-berlin.de Dr. Mohamed A. Salheen Ain Shams University (ASU); Faculty of Engineering Urban Planning and Design Department, 1 El-Sarayat Street Cairo, Egypt.
Internet: http://www.wanacu.tu-berlin.de/menue/activities/wanacu_activities/workshops_within_the_daad_transformation_partnership_program/
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The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo
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Ain Shams University Faculty of Engineering Department of Urban Planning and Design
Berlin University of Technology School VI Planning Building - Environment Department of Architecture
Credits Compiled& Edited by Mona Mannoun Wesam El-Bardisy Revised by ASU: Mohamed Salheen
TU Berlin: Daniel Karsch
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WANACU
West Asia North Africa Cooperation Unit
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
acknowledgment We would like to thank all staff members of both Ain Shams University and Technische Universitaet Berlin who helped to make this summer school possible, as well as all the experts and speakers who contributed to the event. Furthermore, this report would not have been possible without the participants of the summer schools. Last but not least we would like to thank the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for providing the financial support needed to create the summer school.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
Table Of Content Summer School Abstract.........................................................................................8 Organized by............................................................................................................8 Invited experts - Public lectures..............................................................................8 Summer School Participants...................................................................................9 Objectives and Goals..............................................................................................10 Duration..................................................................................................................10 Phases classification...............................................................................................10 Phase I....................................................................................................................11 Introducing concepts for urban regeneration..........................................................11 Phase II...................................................................................................................13 Understanding the challenges......................................................................13 Brief overview for the study area - Istabl antar...........................................13 Methodology of field work..........................................................................14 Urban Economics..............................................................................16 Governance and Participation...........................................................18 Physical Improvement and Infrastructure.........................................20 Social Development..........................................................................23 Land and Legal Issues.......................................................................26 Combined swot process...............................................................................27 Phase III.................................................................................................................29 Practical Applicaton.....................................................................................29 Land Issues Issues ............................................................................30 Infrastructure.....................................................................................32 Human Resources..............................................................................39 Building and open spaces..................................................................42 Accessibility......................................................................................46 Presentation to the stakeholders as resident groups, CBO representative, private sector representatives.............................................................................................49 Farewell.................................................................................................................50 Final presentation in Ainshams University.................................................50 DAAD presentation in Ainshams University..............................................51 Closing Ceremony in Azhar Park................................................................51 Appendix Participants Reflectionsv
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
List Of Figures Figure 1 Summer School Phases Figure 2 Summer School Phases classification Figure 3 Batn-el- Barra area Figure 4 Abou-regela area Figure 5 Participants outcome after the field visit Figure 6 Douekah area Figure 7 Zenhom area Figure 8 Istabl Antar location Figure 9 Monument Building Figure 10 Identifying the working area of the summer school of both Istabl Antar and Ezbet Khair Allah Figure 11 Lectures conducted by experts in Phase III Figure 12 Data Collection Figure 13 Recycling workshops Figure 14 Women bake bread at her house and sell it Figure 15 People complaining from distance to reach their shop Figure 16 Urban economics SWOT analysis Figure 17 Participants infront of Al-Nour CBO in Ezbet Khair Allah Figure 18 Istabl Antar Figure 19 Governance and participation SWOT analysis Figure 20 Building condition and materials in Istabl Antar Figure 21 Building condition and materials in Ezbet khair Allah Figure 22 Street condition in Istabl Antar and Ezvbet Khair Allah Figure 23 Entrances to Istabl antar area Figure 24 Physical Improvement and Infrastructure SWOT analysis Figure 25 Participants with Istabl Antar children Figure 26 Family lives in Istabl Antar Figure 27 A class at a CBO in Ezbet Khair Allah Figure 28 Social development swot analysis SWOT analysis Figure 29 Istabl Antar general view Figure 30 Land and Legal Issues SWOT analysis Figure 31 Combined SWOT workshop Figure 32 Combined SWOT workshop Figure 33 Combined SWOT Figure 34 Participatory workshop Figure 35 Landuse map in “Istbal Antar Figure 36 Land value map in “Istbal Antar” Figure 37 Situation on the cliff Figure 38 Vacant lands in “Istbal Antar. Figure 39 Stakeholders Analysis Figure 40 Current situation of Electricity in deferent parts at the area Figure 41 Water network supplied in the area (blue color) Figure 42 Children bringing water Figure 43 Water situation in the area Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
List Of Figures Figure 44 Water situation in the area Figure 45 Deteriorated Sewage system in the area ( green colour) Figure 46 Sewage system in the area Figure 47 Stakeholders Analysis- Electricity Figure 48 Stakeholders Analysis- Water Figure 49 Stakeholders Analysis- Sewage Figure 50 Stakeholders Analysis- Solid wastes Figure 51 Children drawings Figure 52 Children studying Figure 53 Children Spending their spare time playing together Figure 54 Man upholstering a pillow Figure 55 Households spending the spare time Figure 56 Children work as garbage collectors Figure 57 Stakeholders Analysis- Human Resources Figure 58 Stakeholders Analysis- Building and Open spaces Figure 59 Stairs Situation in the area Figure 60 Tunnel leading to Ezbet-Khair Allah Figure 61 One of the roads in Ezbet-Khair Allah Figure 62 Accessibility and connectivity map for Istabl Antar Figure 63 Stakeholders Analysis- Accessibility Figure 64 Presentation samples Figure 65 Summer school participants with Istabl Antar citizens Figure 66 Group Photo of the Summer school participants with experts and DAAD representativies Figure 67 DAAD Presentation Figure 68 Group Photo at Al-Azhar park
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
Summer School Abstract The current transformation process in the Arab world and particularly in Egypt is intensely related to a growing demand for public participation in the political decision making processes. The participation of residents in local urban development, and especially in the regeneration of informal settlements, is a new experiment that challenges the involved stakeholders and institutions. On an international scale, the academic debate and practical examples shows a rich variety of models and best practices of residents’ participation in urban planning and neighborhood revitalization, which might provide valuable input and lessons learned to be critically reflected on in the current phase of transformation. Therefore, the Berlin University of Technology (TU Berlin) together with its Egyptian partner, Ain Shams University, facilitated a Summer School titled “New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo” sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in October 2011 for 25 Egyptian students from different fields of study. Local and international experts from academic and practical fields introduced concepts of participatory regeneration, creating a medium for intense exchange during the interdisciplinary thematic workshops. Finally, a community action planning activity was conceptualized and carried out in one particular neighborhood of Greater Cairo that involved local residents in the planning of their community. The results of this community workshop were presented to the involved stakeholders and institutions.
Organized by TU Berlin: Josefine Fokdal ((habitat unit), Gesa Schöneberg, Daniel Karsch, Hassan El-Mouelhi, Enrico Hein, Carsten Zehner (habitat unit), Tooska Mosavat (WANACU). Ain Shams University: Mohamed Salheen, Mohamed Shafe’a, Wesam El-Bardisy, Aya El-Wagieh.
Invited EXPERTS and LECTURES Topics Name Prof. Dr. Ali Sherief Abdel-Fayad & Prof. Dr. Omar El Husseiny Prof. Dr. Rudolf Schäfer Ms. Mona Ayoub & Dr. Dorothea Rüland Prof. Dr. Galal Amin Prof. Hans Harms Mr. Frank Samol Mr. Reiner Nagel Mr. David Sims Mr. Khalil Shaat Dr. Nabil Haseeb Dr. Heba Abul Fadl
Lecture Topics Opening Speech - Ain Shams University • Dean of Faculty of Engineering • Head of Department of Urban Planning Opening Speech - Technical University of Berlin (Head of WANACU and Director of Campus El Gouna) Opening Speech - German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) & DAAD Engagement in Egypt Relation between the revolution in Egypt and Urban Planning - followed by a short discussion session Broad overview, history of urban regeneration, international examples State of the Art of Participatory Urban Regeneration Examples from Berlin Examples from Cairo Examples from Cairo Introductory Note: Governance and Participation Introductory Note: Physical Improvement and Infrastructure Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 8
Summer School Participants List The summer school had 21 participants from different majors, universities and educational degrees. These multi-disciplinary mixture of participants helped to shed light on different perspectives and create a more comprehensive understanding of the regeneration of informal areas in the Egyptian context. A complete list of participants and their educational background is shown below. No. First name UNDERGRADUATE 1 Dina
Family name
University
Yaser Moustafa
2 3
Hendawy Belal
Misr International University (M.I.U.) Ain shams University Arab academy for science and technology (AAST)
Mennatullah Salma
FRESH GRADUATE (Bachelor Degree) 4 Dina M.Abd El-Rasheed 5 Farah El-Batrawy 6 Hager Mamdouh 7 Mahmoud Osman Elshabrawy 8 Mohammed Ahmed AlFiky 9 Noha Abou Alezz 10 Sally Adel Rabei 11 Salma Mohamed El-Banna 12 Salma Mohamed Showika 13 Salma Muhammad Ebrahim 14 Yasmine Ahmed Halawa MASTERS DEGREE 15 Ahmed Hassan Abayazeed 16 Aya Mossad El-Wagieh 17 Mahmoud Islam Gad El Hak 18 Mokhtar Akl 19 Mona Mannoun 20 Sarah Asseel 21 Wesam El-Bardisy PHD HOLDER 22 Aya Nassar 23 Hazem Abdelfattah 24 Nihal Ragab 25
Rania
Aglan
Ain shams University Cairo University Mansoura University Cairo University Ain shams University Ain shams University Cairo University Cairo University Ain shams University Ain shams University Ain shams University Alexandria University Ain shams University Ain shams University Mansoura University Ain Shams University -M.I.U. HafenCity University Ain shams University Cairo University Cairo University Cairo University University of Stuttgart
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 9
Objectives and Goals The overall objective of the Summer School “The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo” was to develop the necessary capacities and know-how for active stakeholder participation in urban politics in Egypt. The summer school aims to address issues related to the urban regeneration of existing informal areas in Greater Cairo. Following the uprising against the government and continuing demands for participation and collaboration, this summer school is seeking to develop the knowledge and skills of participating Egyptian students to eqip them to be the future experts and urban managers in this transition phase.
Duration The Summer School lasted for 10-day in Cairo from September 30th to October 9th 2011. Procedures & phases: visits to informal areas and intervention areas SUMMER SCHOOL ORGANIZIATION
PHASE I INTRODUCING CONCEPTS FOR URBAN REGENERATION
PHASE II UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES
PHASE III PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Figure1: Summer school Phases Source: Authors, 2011
PHASES classification Objectives: To learn about latest approaches as well as local and international experiences in the field of urban regeneration. - To study and practice participatory planning approaches. - To collaborate with different disciplines and perspectives. Deliverables: - Preliminary assessment of the area (thematic and integrated SWOT analysis, key issues) - Collection of ideas for potential solutions (e.g. maps, plans, posters, drafts etc.) - Agreement for follow-up process to continue working in the intervention area (IstablAntar).
Figure2: Summer School Phases classification Source: Schöneberg, 2011 Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 10
PHASE I INTRODucing CONCEPTS FOR URBAN REGENERATION - 3 days
•Getting to know Informal Areas in Cairo •Public Lectures •Visiting Intervention Areas in Cairo
First, participants visited different informal areas on the first day of the workshop to introduce them to informality and informal areas. Participants were divided into four groups, each group visited one of the following areas: Batn-el-Barra, Abou-regela, Ezbet el Nakhal, Ezbet-el-Haggana. As a follow-up, each group shared their reflections and impressions of the area with the other groups.
Figure 3 Batn-el-Barra area Source: Daniel Karsch, 2011
Figure 4 Abou-regela area Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Figure 5 Participants outcome after the field visit Source: participant
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 11
To create a common understanding among the participants and lay a common understanding for group work and discussions throughout the Summer School, the topic of urban regeneration was briefly introduced by local and international experts. A special emphasis was put on models and instruments of stakeholder participation in planning processes. Different experts and lecturers to discussed the history of urban regeneration, models of participation, different intervention approaches, different international examples of urban regeneration and the Egyptian experience in urban regeneration. The keynote speakers, Prof. Dr. Galal Amen explained the relation between the 2011 revolution and urban planning, and Mr. David Sims, the author of “Understanding Cairo�, discussed the impact of the revolution on urban planning. In addition, representatives from different institutions as German International Cooperation (GIZ), General Organization of Physical Planning (GOPP), Cairo governorate and the Informal Settlement Development Facility (ISDF) joined the sessions to share their experience and work in informal areas. Later tthe participants got introduced to informal areas that underwent regeneration interventions as Darb al-Ahmar, Zenhom, and Douekah. Interviews were conducted with residents to better understand how the intervention process took place in those areas and the level of resident involvement in the planning process. The interviews also highlighted how the intervention impacted residents’ life and demand.
Figure 6 Douekah area Source: Daniel Karsch, 2011
Figure 7 Zenhom area Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 12
PHASE II UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES - 2days • •
Introduction to Important Topics in Urban Regeneration- Experts lectures. Purpose of the phase: Conduction of SWOT analysis.
BRIEF OVERVIEW FOR THE STUDY AREA - Istabl Antar
Istabl Antar is located in Zahra’a Misr Al Qadima district. It is divided into two areas Istabl Antar and Ezbet Kheir-allah. Each area has its own urban characteristic due to the presence of a cliff. Both areas were built over the Zahra’a rock of Moqatam hill over an area of 25 Hectars. Istabl Antar is downhill and was inhabited over 40 years ago; the uphill area, Ezbet Kheir-allah, was built almost 20 years ago.
Misr El-Adima
Ein el-Seyra
Dar el-Salam Maadi
Figure 8 Istabl Antar location Source: Authors Based on Google Earth, 2013
Istabl Antar is named after a historical monument in the area. It is also known by “Gabakhana”, a fortress built by Sultan Salah Al-Deen that was used to store cannons and ammunition. During the rule of Mohamed Ali it is used as a gunpowder factory and as it stands now it is an abandoned building.
Figure 9 Monument Building Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 13
Figure 10 Identifying the working area of the summer school of both Istabl Antar and Ezbet Khair Allah Source: Authors based on Google earth, 2013
Methodology of field work This phase was based on the participation of the local community. The goal was to collect information and better understand the area and its community to build a base for conducting the participatory planning workshop in phase III of the summer school. For an in depth analysis on the selected informal settlement, “Istabl Antar”, the participants were split into five groups focusing on the following topics •Urban economics, •Governance and participation, •Physical improvement and infrastructure, •Social development, •Land and legal issues This phase was conducted over two days and was initiated with an explanation of the five topics by the experts. Participants were then divided into groups according to their interests, with each topic under the guidance of an expert to help them explore the area within the specific framework and limited available time. The SWOT analysis was conducted as a result. Each working group conducted field analysis in order to assess the current situation of each topic. The fieldwork started upon arrival to Istabl Antar, a volunteer from the Community Based Organization (CBO) joined each group to facilitate exploring the area. Exploration of the area started by observation and quick survey according to each topic. In addition face-to-face interviews were conducted with residents to identify the involved stakeholders in the area, social hierarchy, the economical standard, and governance participation, as well as to document the quality of buildings and infrastructure.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 14
Figure 11 Lectures conducted by experts in Phase III Source: Wesam El-Bardisy, 2011
Through these interviews residents discussed their living conditions, means of accessibility to and within the area and the associated challenges. The other method used by the participants was mental mapping, children were asked to draw imaginary drawings to understand what and how they are thinking about and how they see their life and future. The below diagram illustrates the methodology used for collecting data during the summer school workshop. Data Collection (Surveys)
Observations (by the participants)
Face-to-face interviews (with the local community)
Drawings (by local community)
Individual interviews (on-one with individuals from several houses)
Mental Mapping (by adults and Children)
Group Interviews (with Groups of men or women)
Ordinary Drawings (by childrens)
Figure 12 Data Collection Source: Authors, 2012
As a general feedback from the participants, the residents were very helpful and some were invited to their homes. Some tours were offered by residents and children as well, aiming to show the means of accessibility to their homes and the location of the the location of the residents’ only access to the Ring Road, the stairs. After the fieldwork finished, the groups presented a quick overview of Istabl Antar that reflected on each topic. Each group presented the collected data to the rest of the participants through the SWOT analysis.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 15
URBAN ECONOMICS Urban economics means the urban factors in the area affecting the economical standard of the people. It also shows the area’s potential to can provide the citizens chances to work and to launch different income-generating activities. Key ISSUES
•Unemployment rate,
•Female working, •Jobs in the area and small industries, •Sources of income.
The majority of jobs available for men in Istabl Antar are day laborers, carpenters and builders. During the interviews residents believed that they are self-sustained and do not need external labor. A dominant job in the area is recycling, thus one can find many small recycling workshops for different materials such as plastics, wood, and steel. It is not common to let the women work outside homes. Nevertheless, women search for different activities and work to do from home for raising their families’ income. Some women bake bread in their homes and sell it, others sell daily goods through small shops on the ground floor from their home windows. The area has a relatively high land value for the residents due to its central location and proximity to places of work. However, houses built on and under the cliff are structurally vulnerable due to the soil nature of that area. In the last years the government offered to relocate residents to public housing in 6th of October city, but they returned back to Istabl Antar due to the long distance from their places of employment and the lack of affordable transportation.
Figure 13 Recycling workshops Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Figure 14 Women bake bread at her house and sell it Source: Rania Aglan, 2011
There is no market in Istabl Antar, residents depend on the small shops and on a big vegetable market near to Al-Zahraa district. That requires them to go up the cliff on a daily basis carrying their merchandise as most do not own a fridge for storage.
Figure 15 People complaining from distance to reach their shop Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 16
Urban Economics swot analysis
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Location - The area is easily accessed through the ring road Society - There are at least three NGO’s and two CBO’s in the area that offer their help to the families financially, offer educational services, develop their skills and provide job opportunities. Social - THousehold income is generated by renting rooms in the apartment or renting shops in the house ground floor - People have a good opportunity of working from home by opening shops in the ground floor and sell daily goods.
Services - Vacant land inside Istabl Antar for investment. - A historical and touristic place as it has a monumental building that dates back to Sultan Salah Al-Deen Society - Carpet handcraft conducted by a CBO.
Location -They do not have daily markets in the area and they have to go down the cliff to buy their needs. Services -High unemployment rate. -Deteriorated sewage system. Social -There is mistrust between people unless they are from the same family -Cultural background affects them negatively as most of the people coming from Upper Egypt so women cannot contribute financially unless they work from home -High level of uneducated and unskilled persons from both genders
Location - The existing houses on and under the cliff may fall - Land value decreases due to the low quality sewage system.
Figure16 Urban economics SWOT analysis Source: Urban economic group, 2011
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 17
Governanceand Participation This topic focused on the act of the governing, in particular the quality of governance in setting the rules and the implementation. This system is typically administrated by the government. Key IsSUES •Land legalization •Provision of services •Provision of infrastructure From the very beginning it was obvious how everything overlapped in Istabl Antar; the infrastructure was the basic problem upon which all the other problems seemed to be built. However, the infrastructure problem can be attributed to governance issues and the fact that this area is “unseen” by the government, in the sense that it does not provide them with the basic infrastructures and services needed for its population. From a different legal perspective, we could also argue that the presence of those buildings and people is illegal, hence the government cannot legalize their situation by providing them with sewage and electricity for that will make a legitimize it, encouraging others to encroach on state-owned land.
Figure17 Participants infront of Al-Nour CBO in Ezbet Khair Allah Source: Wesam El-Bardisy, 2011
Figure18 Istabl Antar Source: Daniel Karsch, 2011
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 18
Governance and Participation swot analysis
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Society - The people won the lawsuit against the company that claimed ownership of the land - There were three CBOs operating in the area, implementing developmental, social and educational projects for residents. Services - There was some sort of presence by the government in the area to oversee the historical monument. This meant that the area was not completely isolated or unseen and that the monument still provides it with some official attention - There was a wide sense of social cohesion among many people, especially after the revolution, and they learned to provide themselves with the needed security and electricity as well as manage the solid waste
Location - Many people did not object to the idea of leaving, so they were flexible when it came to relocating them elsewhere. - They could now have legal ownership of their houses and the presence of official authorities would no longer be unfavorable now as they won the lawsuit. Services - There is potential for the creation of employment opportunities by making use of the monument, the car factory, and solid-waste recycling workshops.
Services -The absence of police or authority figures created a big security gap. -They do not have tenure documents for their properties to legalize their presence in the area. Social -People were being used and manipulated by the local and national official representatives and authority figures. -The lack of employment opportunities for residents made them dependent on external factors and susceptible to more and more manipulation by local and national representatives, the police, political parties and SCOs there. -The drug dealers intimidate the people and make use of the absence of police presence.
Services - Some of the inhabitants are highly dependent on the CBOs. - The pessimism and negativity of the people after years of being neglected makes it difficult to govern them, and to enhance their quality of life. - The fear that at any moment landowners, or government officials would evacuate them from their houses.
Figure19 Governance & Participation SWOT analysis Source: Governance group, 2011
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 19
Physical Improvement and Infrastructure This term physical improvement means the built environment of the area through studying the conditions, the material and the heights of the buildings. The term infrastructure here emphasizes on the provision of a sewage system, solid waste management services, potable water and electricity to the area. Key ISsUES
• Physical improvement: buildings heights, buildings conditions, buildings materials, buildings
structure, Buildings designs. •Infrastructure: solid waste management, sewage system, provision of potable water, and electric- ity. •Transportation &Network (urban accessibility, entrances and circulation) The building forms, conditions and characteristic differ in Istabl Antar area than in Ezbet Khair Allah. This differentiation is due to the typology of land and the presence of the hill. In Istabl Antar, the building heights vary between one and two stories maximum, and are mostly in bad conditions. Inefficient building materials were used in constructing the walls such as broken bricks and wood. Ceilings and structure were also in bad conditions, and were usually constructed using any available local material such as aluminum sheets, and other materials salvaged from landfills. These material effect on the structural integrity of the buildings, making them very weak. The most dangerous toward these buildings are the ones built on the mount. People built their houses along the mount and some of the houses are closely attached to the mount, the mount surface was used as walls of the house.The design of the houses varies from one to the other. Some houses were built to accommodate 4-5 families, a room for each, with a shared bathroom and kitchen, while others accommodate one family only with its own bathroom. Other families used their houses as a working space where they can sell products such as groceries and bakery. In Ezbet Khair Allah the height ranges between two to five stories. The material used in building is concrete and red bricks, most without external plaster. Some buildings used reinforced concrete in the structure of the buildings rendering them in good condition. Each building is separated from others and most of the families have their own apartment with its own facilities (kitchen and bathroom). The buildings’ condition in Ezbet Khair Allah is much better than Istabl Antar.
Figure20 Building condition and materials in Istabl Antar Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Figure21 Building condition and materials in Ezbet khair Allah Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011 Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 20
The infrastructure condition in Istabl Antar and Ezbet Kheir Allah is almost the same except that in the Istabl Antar people complain of lack of drinking water. They have to go downstairs to get water, requiring people to carry it in pots and back up through the stairs to reach their houses. While in Ezbet Khair Allah there are water pipes but with no maintenance, in addition water is disrupted frequently, being available only for two or three hours a day. People mentioned that they do not face problems from electricity outages, however they are illegally connected to the grid, which leads to the presence of uncovered electricity wires. Although in Ezbet KhairAllah they are legally connected to electricity However, it is also considered a threat as in many cases; electricity is not provided in a safe manner which leads to many accidents. Moreover there are several problems occurring between the residents and the electricity company. Another problem regarding the infrastructure is no regular system to get rid of the solid waste. In Istabl Antar the sewage system is officially accessed but not working efficiently. In Ezbet Kheir Allah people depend on a sanitary waste disposal car that comes around 1-2 times a week to the area or stops by the Ring Road to dispose of the solid waste. However, the sewage system was under construction during the summer school workshop period 2011 and there was digging in the streets.
Figure22 Street condition in Istabl Antar and Ezbet Khair Allah Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Transportation and Network in Istabl Antar are disastrous; due to the typology the only entrance is through stairs and ramps. This leads to no car access to the area, posing a problem in the case of any kind of emergency as ambulances, police, and firefighting cars cannot access the area. In addition, the streets are very narrow and unpaved. While in Ezbet Khair Allah the case is better because of the flat typology and location over the Ring Road, accessibility is still difficult because of the presence of a deteriorated tunnel. The streets are wider than in Istabl Antar but also unpaved and street digging for installing sewage infrastructure.
Figure23 Entrances to the area Source: Authors based on Google Earth Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 21
Physical Improvement & InfraStructure swot analysis
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Buildings - Some buildings are in a good condition and skeleton-type R.C. buildings - Building heights allows the accessibility of sunlight to the paths - Historical building “istabl antar� - Some of the residents in the area work as construction workers Services Community: - Some grocery stores - Several active NGOs Infrastructure: - Availability of Electricity - Sewage system is in the first phases of implementation Road Network and accessibility - Near to ring road - Near to underground metro station
Buildings - Vacant lands. - Raise in concrete building heights in Khair Allah - Historical building in Istabl Antar Services Community: -Availability of some groceries - Human skills - Existence of a development plan by an international organization interested in the development of the area Infrastructure: - Availability of water pipes Figure24 Physical Improvment & infra structure SWOT analysis Source: Physical Improvement & Infra-Structure group, 2011
Buildings - Inefficient building materials - Bad finishes. - Impact of wood condition on building structure - Building cracks (insects, scorpions, snakes, etc.) - Building within hill (humidity) - Sharing bathroom between 4-5 families Services Community: - Lack of public services (schools, health center, hospitals, police stations, commercial and markets area) Infrastructure: -AAvailability of drinking water - Sewage system not connected throughout the area - Uncovered electricity wires - Houses up the hill have difficulty with water pumping - No reliable solid waste management system Road Network and accessibility - Narrow unpaved streets - Limited vehicle accessibility. Pedestrian access only
Buildings - Wood condition on building structure - Building cracks (potential for building collapsing) - Building within Hill (potential for building collapsing) - Kitchen in the same room as sleeping quarter (fire hazard) Services Infrastructure: - Uncovered electricity wires Road Network and accessibility - Near the Ring Road (access through a deteriorated tunnel) - No access to emergency services.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 22
social development Social development module studies the social condition and standard of people of Istabl Antar through analyzing different aspects, such as rate of employement and type of work, the awareness level toward health and education and the impact of CBO’s and NGO’s in the area. Key ISSUES
•Human development in different aspects (education, awareness, etc.). •The use of spaces •Impact social organizations (CBOs, NGOs)
A friendly social homogeneity and eventual support between families in Antar area exists, although residents believe that they do prefer the privacy. This homogeneity is a result of their living conditions, culture and the lack of services and infrastructure. To combat these harsh conditions alternatives were created, such as creating recreational spaces in the available few open spaces to be used by all residents. Children use any space available for playing, in streets, balconies, mosque plazas and playgrounds. youth and men meet in cafes and playgrounds. Girls and housewives meet in front of their houses or in one of the homes due to culture limitations. Also Religious homogeneity appears between the Muslim majority and the small number of Christians living in the area. The lack of services impacts the education level of residents. Most adults are not educated and only concerned with fulfilling the economic needs of their families. Hence, it results in children and youth dropping out of the schools to contribute to the household income. Boys work as in workshops and girls get married or stay at home.
Figure25 Participants with Istabl Antar children Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Figure26 Family lives in Istabl Antar Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
The CBOs in the area mobilize residents to partake in different social activities, however it does not allocate its resources on an equal basis and ebing biased towards certain groups.
Figure27 A class at a CBO in Ezbet Khair Allah Source: Mona Mannoun, 2011
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 23
social development swot analysis
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Services - The use of open spaces as a recreational place for all sectors of the community, hence social interaction and strong network is engendered. - Existence of CBOs that mobilize residents to get involved in different social activities. Social - The ambition of parents for better quality of life for children, which prevent them for returning back to their original city. This is reflected on the increase percentage of younger generation. - Due to the strong social cohesion, there is a collective action towards security and safety of the area (a stranger is spotted at once).
Location - The use of the landform and the cliff for a better air quality and views after implementing an upgrading strategy for the area. Services - Enhancing the role of the CBOs to let the residents believe that they could be a catalyst for a change. Social - The strong social cohesion between the residents will open the door for more co-operation between different residents and provides a supportive environment for new comers. It also allows for different culture to peacefully coexist. - children ambition toward being educated
Services - People with special needs are marginalized and beaten - CBOs are not fair in allocating the resources on an equal basis - Due to limited services and infrastructure, residents are forced to go to neighboring Zahraa or Dar El-Salam areas for daily needs, school and medical attention. This causes complications such as health problems, death and accidents that especially appears on old people as the only access to the areas is stairs and crossing the Ring Road Social - In contradiction for the parents’ ambition for a better quality of life for their children, most youth dropout of school after reaching the preparatory stage to work as a craftsman or any job to share in the family income and girls were married off
Location - Residents are emotionally attached to the area and refused relocation despite the hardships and the threat of the cliff falling. Services - Future health problems and increase in death rates are forecasted if the public services and infrastructure problem is not solved - No trust in government and CBOs.
Figure28 Social development SWOT analysis Source: Social development group, 2011 Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 24
land and legal Issues This topic examines security of tenure for residents of the informal area. Key ISSUES
• Tackling the ownership system of the land/infrastructure •Obtaining an Identification card (I.D) for community members without personal identifican •Real estate status of housing and land in the area Most of the relatively new residents of the area have contracts that make them owners or tenures of the built structure and not the land (rental or ownership contracts). However, most contracts are not officially registered. Some of the old residents of the area, own the land through encroachment. However, in one of the interviews, residents stated that those who informally own a land (encroached) have reached more than 500,000 and can now officially register such ownership to be the formal owner of the land. A third type of ownership was identified by those who were living in one of the houses in the area within the unsafe region. Their houses were demolished, and they were relocated to other houses by the government. As dwellers are relocated elsewhere, some residents consider this as an entry point that could lead to legally owning a house. Others consider it as a weakness point, as the relocation areas are usually on the city outskirts, a considerable distance from Istabl Antar. Most of the residents had National ID cards. The addresses officially recognized in the IDs varied. Some had the addresses where they currently live in Stabl Antar. While others had their old residence address in old Cairo, as they believe it is less prestigious to have an address in Stabl Antar in their ID cards. According to the interviews with the community, they stated that only the built houses and not the land are now on the real estate market. There are different opinions on the price of the land, some believed that its value is increasing, as more infrastructure services are available in the area compared to before. Others believe that prices are decreasing, as many houses have been lately demolished (in reference to the recently demolished houses built in the unsafe area in Istabl Antar)
Figure29 Istabl Antar general view Source: Daniel Karsch, 2011 Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 25
land and legal Issues swot analysis
S
W
O
T
Location - The area is easily accessed through tthe Ring Road Society - Work in construction - Some of the relatively new residents have the building ownership - Most of the residents have national I.D cards
Services - Existence of infrastructure and sewage system Society - Most of them have health insurance - They have national I.D cards that support their rights and give them the opportunity to vote.
Location - IIstabl Antar is considered as an unsafe area - Demolishment of some unsafe houses and the relocation of residents - Difficulty in accessibility of the area (narrow streets) Services - No maintaned infrastructure
Location - Land property Services - Solid waste management Society - Government corruption
Figure30 Land and legal Issues SWOT analysis Source: Land and Legal group, 2011
The outcome of the four groups was presented and discussed in a plenary session followed by a feedback session from the external experts. This provided a basis for participants to understand the area for community action planning throughout the next phase.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 26
Combined swot process
Figure31 Combined SWOT workshop Source: Daniel Karsch, 2011
Participants developing thematic SWOT analysis to integrate and formulate the combined SWOT
Figure32 Combined SWOT workshop Source: Wesam El Bardisy, 2011
The participants linked the five topics in a combined SWOT. The following diagram illustrates the combined SWOT; each color represents a specific issue and its linkage in each topic. The participants focused on the most important issues to start in the finding solution phase.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 27
Combined SWOT Urban Economics
S W
O T
Governance and Participation
Physical Improvement and Infrastructure
Social Development
Land and Legal aspects
• Religious homogeneity • Education (children both gender) • CBO’s • Security • Social network
• Building ownership • Electricity System • Self- Identity (National I.D) • Location
• Solid waste management • Insecure situation • Accessibility
• Accessibility “proximity to Ring Road” • Home Businesses • CBO’s • Bank loans
• Electricity System • Social cohesion • Security (self-organ- • Sewage System • Building condition & ized) Materials • Electricity • 4 CBO’s • Governmental school • Private waste management
• Lack of market place • Unemployment/ Unskilled labors • Internal conflict • Insecure Land tenure • Internal economy not connected to external economy. • Weak infrastructure
• Humidity • Limited sanitation • Infrastructure (water pipes) • Unpaved streets
• • • •
• Accessibility • Historical monumental building • Vacant land • Human resources • International attention • Danger of fire • Wooden structure
• Location • Future opportunities for next generation • Self- Identity (National I.D cards)
• Water pipes • Sewage infrastructure system
• Insecure situation (resettlement)
• Corruption • Land tenure
• Tenants (no legal entitlement) • Accessibility • Drug Dealers
• Vacant Land
• Factory • Recycling • Health companies
• Lack of trust • Insecure situation (Land Value)
• Waste management
Figure33 Combined SWOT Source: Authors based on Participants workshop
Geographical Personal safety Trust Health services
PHASE IiI PRACTICAL APPLICATION - 5 days
Figure34 Participatory workshop Source: Mona Mannoun & Daniel Karsch, 2011
Based on the thematic SWOT analysis that was produced in phase 1 and 2 for the different aspects (economy, governance, physical, social and legal issue), this thematic SWOT analysis was developed to an integrated SWOT for developing an action plan. This was based on identifying the main problems, urgent needs, resources available and the external potential. This was through activating the resources and developing the potentials, converting the weakness into strength and turning threats to opportunities. The developed action plan was categorized to: land issue, building and open spaces, infrastructure, human resources and accessibility. Each group analyzed these categories for the current situation to conduct stakeholders’ analysis and create a community action plan (CAP). Participants took over a substantial share of responsibilities as they designed and implemented the community planning process by themselves demanding the highest mode of interaction and active participation. These results were assessed and presented to involved stakeholders as resident groups, CBO representative, private sector representatives.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 29
LAND ISSUES This section gives an overview of the land Issues of “Istabl Antar” area according to the analysis of the area. The main focus was on land tenure, land uses, land value, securing the cliff, vacant lands and services allocation. 1- Current situation Analysis Land tenure Zahraa El-maadi Company owns almost all land in the area, but people have already encroached and built on these lands. Land plots are currently offered in the market between residents under the term of “ruins on state owned land”. However the residents won a trial case that permits demolishing their buildings although they did not have landownership contracts yet. Land uses Land uses varied from place to another mainly depending on the streets’ width. However, most of the uses are residential with primary commercial and crafts uses. Road Width (meter) Less than 2 meters 2-3 meters More than 3 meters
Land uses Residential Mixed use ( residential with limited commercial uses) Mixed use (residential with commercial shops adding to crafts uses “recycling”)
Table shows the road width in relation with the landuse Source: Participants
Land value The land value increases as we approach the main roads (Algomhoreya and Ring Road), and can reach up to 1,500 EGP/m². Land plots near the cliff edges and the monumental site are the cheapest, going as low as 500-600 EGP/m².
Figure35 Landuse map in “Istbal Antar. Source: Participants (land issue group)
Figure36 Land value map in “Istbal Antar” Source: Participants (land issue group)
Securing the cliff Areas at the top and bottom edges of the cliff are exposed to a high risk of the hill collapsing. Cairo governorate ordered to relocate the residents and demolish these buildings. However, the cliff remains unsecured for children or anyone who comes near it and now it is a dump area full of buildings’ ruins.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 30
Vacant lands Two type of vacant lands were analyzed: a. The land surrounding the monument that acts as a buffer zone. Although it is prohibited to build on but light structures for temporary public activities and events were sometimes held on these lands. b. Unused lands that are under people’s possession as encroachment, however these lands are not activated neither by the people nor the state.
Figure37 Situation on the cliff Source: Participants (land issue group)
Figure38 Vacant lands in “Istbal Antar. Source: Participants (land issue group)
Services allocation Istabl Antar area suffers from the lack of basic services as health, education, security, etc. Meanwhile, there is vacant land plots available in the area for these services if the state decides to provide them. 2- Stakeholders Analysis Civil Society •Local community representatives •CBO’s •Parliaments representatives
People who posses unused lands as encroachment
Tourism Ministry (TDA) for monuments renovation and its surroundings
Community
Figure39 Stakeholders Analysis Source: Participants (land issue group)
ISDF with coordination with Cairo Governorate
Government
•Ministry of culture (cultural development fund) to activate the area surrounding the monument with different events and fairs
•Ministry of Health •Ministry of interior affairs
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 31
3- CAP Table Objectives
Strategies
Activities
Securing the Co-ordination •Collecting matecliff edge between dif- rials for building a fence with the ferent stakeco-operation with holders. inhabitants
Time Frame • Short term
Who • Donors
Target Group •Inhabitants overlooking the cliff. • Children •Inhabitants dumping their waste on the sitethere
•Desert landscaping.
Make use Developing of the lands the surroundsurrounding ing area. the monument
• Setting-up a per- • Short term manent market and long term • Cleaning the area and using the free space for inhabitant’s activities • Renovating the facades and reusing the ground floor.
• Government for authorization • Community
• Unemployed • Inhabitants
Activating the unused lands
• Hospital • School • Police station • Market • Fire station
• Government • Inhabitants
• Inhabitants
• Land pooling. • Using the vacant land.
• Long term
CAP table Source: Participants (land issue group)
INFRASTRUCTURE This section gives a wide overview on the infrastructure status in the area. The main focus was on electricity, water supply, sewage, energy for cooking (natural gas), and solid waste. It describes the current problems, defines the main stakeholders in each aspect, with a special focus on the solid waste management and proposing an action plan to address this issue. 1- Current situation Analysis Electricity: Electricity is provided to most houses in the area through formal channels. It was pointed out that “Roqey” NGO in cooperation with “PLAN” NGO paid the cost for electricity connections The most important current issues: •The durability of the service. Power outages are frequent and last for a relatively long time. •The service is not installed efficiently, which makes it unsafe. Many people get electricuted
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 32
Figure40 Current situation of Electricity in deferent parts at the area Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Water Supply: The problem of water supply was dealt with by private initiatives in cooperation with some existing CBOs / NGOs. Nevertheless, there are existing problems because the service does not reach everyone equally all the time, there are water networks that were installed but they need maintenance. Pumps have been installed also with private initiatives and under the supervision of existing CBOs, however these leave certain people in control of running and maintaining these pumps. This forces some people to buy water containers from distant areas.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 33
Figure41 Water network supplied in the area (blue color) Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Figure42 Children bringing water to supply houses with. Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Figure 43 Water situation in the area Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Figure44 Water situation in the area Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Sewage system: The existing system is “septic tanks” that were installed with the help with one of the NGOs. How- ever, this system is deteriorated and needs periodic maintenance, with people bearing its hefty cost. In addition, there is a sewage network that is being currently installed and it is expected to work within few months. This relates to other problems such as the impact of sewage leaks on the structural integrity of buildings’ foundations and the soil beneath, and health problems related to sewage leaks.
Figure45 Deteriorated Sewage system in the area ( green colour) Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Figure46 Sewage system in the area Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 34
Solid Waste There is minimal governmental attention given to Istab Antar, which is manifested in several ways, such as the absence of regular waste pickup by the municipality. Coupled with the narrow width of streets in the area, leads to the easy accumulation and restriction of mobility. The monument and the staircase leading into the area have become a landfill collecting residents’ daily waste. This issue causes internal conflicts among residents about the right to dispose of their waste and where to do so. Existing strategies: •Renting trucks to remove waste piles but not all households can afford its cost. •Burning the waste, which causes health problems. •Disposing of the waste on the main roads (Ring road and El-Mahata st.) •Residents traveling long distances to reach drop points Previous solutions: •A garbage collector who is hired by the people and with the assistance with one of the CBOs. This solution was not sustainable because the garbage collector did not honor his contract and also neither the households nor the CBO were committed to paying regularly. •Pressing the government to pick up the garbage by highlighting the importance of the monument, but this strategy was ineffective. Key challenges: It is difficult to put waste bins in side streets because of their extreme narrowness. And since it does not regularly collected, it could easily pile up and lead to health problems, not to mention blocking the streets and restricting mobilityAnd since it doesn’t get picked up regularly it could easily pile up and lead to health problems, in addition to blocking the streets. 2- Stakeholders Analysis Civil Electricity Society organizations Cooperation between “Roqey” NGO & PLAN Int. to pay the installment cost for electricity provision to the houses Unsafe electricity provision People who posses unused lands as encroachment
Electricity provision to most houses in the area through formal channels
private sector (electricity company)
Government
The government and the electricity company (that has been privatized) impose very high electricity bills Figure47 Stakeholders Analysis- Electricity Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
No electricity maintenance is provided. Delayed resposes to power cuts, unless it is a general power cut in the whole area.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 35
Water Civil Society organizations Cooperation between private dwellers, a CBO and a parliament representative to buy & install water automation motors to pump & provide water to houses
community dwellers
There are available water supply networks in the area, but they are worn out & need to be upgraded to function properly
Buying water containers
Private initiatives to buy & install water automation motors to pump& provide water to houses relying on the formal water supply networks.
Government
The water company is able to pump water to formal water supply networks in the area.
Figure48 Stakeholders Analysis- Water Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Sewage Civil Society organizations
Dwellers privately maintain the sewage system in the areas where it had been installed & functioning
community dwellers
A sewage system is installed in the regios & should start functioning within a couple of months
Government
Renting special cars to clean septic tanks Figure49 Stakeholders Analysis- Sewage Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 36
Solid Wastes Civil Society organizations Cooperation between NGOs & dwellers to pay dwellers to pay garbage collectors a monthly salary
The municipality picking up the garbage from main streets (e.g Ring Road & Al-Mahatta Street)
Waste recycling workshops
Government community dwellers The role of residents in regard to the 3 phases (see the table)
Adding the garbage collection charge to the electricity bill on the state level
Figure50 Stakeholders Analysis- Solid wastes Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
3- CAP Table Objectives
Strategies
Solid waste management
Defining collection points externally and internally. This could be done in three phases: - Removing existing piles. - Creating a sustainable system of solid waste management. - Preventing redumping in the same sites.
Activities
Who
Phase one: External collection points by placing garbage containers near main roads for easy access to the local authority.
- The functioning CBOs/NGOs - Local authority
Target Group Local community: Improving health conditions in the area.
Providing space for alterna- Community ( provid- tive activities. ing internal waste bins) Finding a common cause Internal collection points for the community: in specific and accessible Addressing the waste locations to be collected problem. and recycled. Providing job opportunities - Cooperation between Phase two : the functioning CBOs/ Recycling workshops: Providing sustainable NGOs and the commumeans of waste colCreating job and training lection to main the nity to pay for a local opportunities. collecting point or for garbage collector. recycling. Generating income. - Local authority (picking up waste from external collection points).
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 37
Continue of CAP table Objectives
Strategies
Solid waste management
Defining collection points externally and internally. This could be done in three phases: - Removing existing piles. - Creating a sustainable system of solid waste management. - Preventing redumping in the same sites.
Activities
Who
Phase two : Providing sustainable means of waste collection to main the collecting point or for recycling.
- Waste recycling workshops. Cooperation with technical experts in the field of recycling.
Phase three: Finding new uses for the current waste dumping sites
- Cooperation between the functioning CBOs/ NGOs and the community
Target Group Local community: Improving health conditions in the area. Providing space for alternative activities. Finding a common cause for the community: Addressing the waste problem. Providing job opportunities Recycling workshops: Creating job and training opportunities. Generating income.
CAP table Source: Participants (Infrastructure group)
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 38
HUMAN RESOURCES This section gives a wide overview on the human resources status in the area. The main focus was inhabitant’s development, social responsibility, and employment issues. This section tries to de- scribe the current problems, defining the main stakeholders regarding each aspect and the suggested strategies. 1- Current situation AnalysIS Social organization “CBO’s” There is no integrative community organization that works on the whole community. The area is divided into three zones; two were served by social organizations and the third part is neglected. Education Adult People ( Aged more than 20 years old ) : Adults (over 20 years old): Approximately 73% are illiterate. Youth (20 years old or younger): Majority is enrolled in some sort of formal education, with only 25% illiteracy rate. Although, the majority of the students (approximately 75%) are enrolled in school, many cannot read or write. They advance through the years through taking private lessons.
Figure51 Children drawings Source: Participants (Human Resources group)
Figure52 Children studying Source: Participants (Human Resources group)
Figure53 Children Spending their spare time playing together Source: Participants (Human Resources group)
Figure54 Man upholstering a pillow Source: Participants (Human Resources group)
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 39
Employment Adult ( over 20 years old ): Almost half of adults are currently unemployed due to illiteracy and low skill levels. A significant portion of unemployed adults are housewives. Youth ( 20 years or younger ): They are below employment age but they are currently working. The percentage of working kids is under-claimed as respondents usually reluctant to confessing that their kids are employed. Health Majority of inhabitants claimed that they do not suffer from severe illness. The main complaint is back pains from carrying heavy items for long distances due to the lack of transportation in the area. There are also many traffic-related deaths, particularly from pedestrians crossing the Ring Road, as well as deaths from fighting.
Figure55 Households spending the spare time Source: Participants (Human Resources group)
2- Stakeholders Analysis
Figure56 Children work as garbage collectors Source: Participants (Human Resources group)
Civil Society organizations Teaching Carpet: Industry Occasional working opportunities
using housewives as an income source
Service exchange
Government community dwellers Literacy
Solid waste job opportunities
Figure 57 Stakeholders Analysis- Human Resources Source: Participants (Human resources group)
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 40
3- CAP Table Objectives Creating job opportunities from waste recycling.
Strategies
Activities
Time
Owners of waste Phase one: Daily recycling workshops will work on - Garbage collection in teaching unskilled some specific. - Transferring garbage to people a vacant land Phase two:
Who
Target Group
- Unskilled labor - Owners of recycling work- - Unemployed shops people - CBOs, NGOs, and banks (for loans) - Local authority
Unskilled labor will be trained on sorting waste and reusing materials (glass, plastic, etc.). The remaining organic waste will be buried for gas production
Teaching carpet industry
- Connecting the carpet industry with local NGOs and CBOs -Final products marketing by the local NGOs or CBOs
- Identifying the local CBOs or NGOs who are willing to participate. -Identifying the trainees. -Identifying the location and equipment.
Using seasonal jobs
Using seasonal and occasional opportunities
Service exchange
Offering services in exchange for other services (painting, carpentry, blacksmith, plumbing, teaching, etc)
-One month to organize with the CBOs. -Six months for the training process
Local CBOs or NGOs who are willing to participate.
Anyone who wants to learn the carpet manufacturing industry from the local residents
Seeking a database for Renewed according to the seasonal and occasional jobs (raising the need sheep, butchers, waste collectors, entertainment facilities) - Handing over to the local organizations so as to use it in the seasons
Volunteers from the area and the CBOs.
Residents in need of temporary, daily jobs.
- Building a database on a weekly with the names of each basis participant and his profession
-Anyone agrees on the concept of exchanging services.
Local inhabitants.
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 41
Objectives Literacy
Strategies
Activities
Time
-Teaching the school children reading and writing by the educated residents.
-Locating the available educated residents -Locating the school kids who cannot read or write -Setting a place for the teaching process.
-Two weeks for identi- fying workshop participants -Private teaching lessons twice a week.
Who
Target Group
- Uneducated parents. -Available Educated parents.
-School kids who cannot read or write. -Educated local inhabitants who want to increase their income.
CAP table Source: Participants (Human Resources group)
BUILDING AND OPEN SPACES This section gives an overview of the status of buildings and open spaces in the area. Focusing mainly on the building structure (floors, ceiling, walls) and open spacess. 1- Current situation Analysis Building Structure After observations through field works and surveys, it was clear that there was a sizeable problem related to cracks in the floors, ceilings and walls due to leakages from septic tanks. Rain during winter months coupled with the poor shape and construction of the wooden ceilings and the walls further aggravates the problem. Hence the following strategies could be implemented to improve these buildings: 1- Providing residents with technical support and qualified workers. 2- Providing in-kind or financial support for people for house renovation through NGOs or through the existing CBOs in the form of loans or donations. 3- Getting people to participate in renovating their houses by providing them with the know-how and trainings. The time frame of these strategies depends first on the installation the sewage system there, which will be followed by reconstructing and the renovating the houses in poor conditions over a period of 3 to 6 months minimum Open Spaces Most residents regarded the streets in front of their houses as their open space, where kids could play and social events such as weddings or funerals could be held. There were two playgrounds which belonged to one of the CBOs in the area, however most of the people could not afford to rent it for a social event (wedding, etc.) as it costs between 3 to 4 thousand EGP. The playground is rented for 20 EGP per hour for children to play in the field, which is above the means of many in an area such as Istabl Aantar. Hence the following strategies for open spaces; identifying and cleaning empty public plots of land to provide residents with a space that could be used for the following:
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 42
1- A local market where the basic needs of the people are met, such as buying bread, fruits, and vegetables. This market, which could be held once or twice a week, would be beneficial to residents as the current closest market is at a considerable distance from Istabl Antar in neighboring Dar Al-Salam area. 2- A place where they could start small projects and sell their products, such as weaving carpets. 3- A place for people to meet weekly or monthly to discuss communal issues and affairs and identify solutions to improve their area and lifestyle. 4- A place for social events and for kids to play safely. 5- Renovating the monument to make a touristic and cultural hub in the area, in a way that could allow small projects and businesses in the area to flourish, and compel the government to maintain a presence in the area and provide for decent routes to and from the monument. The suggested time frame for these purposes other than the monument could start immediately as soon as the people agree on any or all of them. As for the monument, it depends on how responsive government agencies to the renovation proposal. This strategy also might have some negative implications on the area, as the government might respond in an expected way, possibly demolishing houses near the monument to “clean up” the area for tourists.
2- Stakeholders Analysis Civil Society organizations Representatives of civil society, NGO’s and people’s council Candidates
Residents associated with relocation and use of land
people within the community
The Informal Settlement Development Fund in cooperation with the Governorate of Cairo
Government Ministry of tourism
Figure58 Stakeholders Analysis Source: Participants (Building and open spaces group
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 43
3- CAP Table Objectives
Strategies
Activities
Time
Who
- Provide technical support and qualified staff.
Cooperation with a consultant engineer to provide technical support
NGO’s or CBO’s in collaboration with a consultant who is willing to donate his time towards the task
- Provide cash or in-kind support by NGOs and CBOs active in the region or other interested sponsor
- Associations government organizations or any other competent body to Intensify their activities in that direction
NGOs, CBOs or other interested national or international organizations
After operating the sewage system in the region. - Provide long-term Improve Bearing in loans to low income building mind that families conditions some homes focusing on that need floors, walls re- building and ceilings - Participation of - Rely on local builders will require Residents/ individuals in the and skilled workers to a minimum Workers/ of 3 to Builders development do the job for a cash 6 months fee, teaching material and training of personnel to participate in the development of homes - Education and training of individuals to participate in the development
Target Group
Tenants and home owners
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 44
Objectives
Strategies
Activities
Providea space for children to play in
An inventory of all public places would be made and completely cleaned and prepared to become suitable for different uses in the future. For areas designatedfor children, those would be paved to become appropriate for their children to play in safely Provide cash or inkind support for the vendors that which they can repay upon the sale of their product
Weekly market to meet the daily needs of the residents
The Monument
Provide appropriate places
Who
Target Group
Residents in cooperation with NGOs and the concerned authorities
Short term and Medium term Plans
Training women and children on simple hand crafts that can be sold
The Community
Activate unused Spaces for the developme Activities and nt of the social events region and strengthen its economy The provision of economic activities in the unused areas or inside buildings toincrease the income of the families The involvement of residents to make decisions for the area through an informal commity council
Time
Provide Appropriate places
Put attention and Long Term pressure on the Cultural Development Fund or the Supreme Council of Antiquities to complete the restoration of the monument to become an archaeological tourist attraction or cultural center
Cultural Development Fund or the Supreme Council of Antiquities in cooperation with the private sector
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 45
Accessibility This section gives an overview on the accessibility and connectivity to and from Istbal Antar area. It gives an overview of the situation of the roads, stairs and tunnels that connect the area to the Ring Road and the nearby “El-Zaharaa” and “Dar El-Salam” metro stations 1- Current situation Analysis Stairs Stairs leading up and down the cliff, leading to Dar El-salam area, are highly used by dwellers to maintain their daily needs despite its deteriorated. The steps are very dangerous, with waste piling on the waste, and bare electricity wires adjacent to water pipes.
Figure 59 Stairs Situation in the area Source: Participants (Assesability group)
Figure 60 Tunnel leading to Ezbet-Khair Allah Source: Participants (Accessibility group)
Figure 61 One of the roads in Ezbet-Khair Allah Source: Participants (Accessibility group)
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 46
Tunnels Tunnel leading to Ezbet-Khair Allah, below the ring road are used as storage for some workshops, creating an obstacle to pedestrian mobility. The tunnels also need lighting for safety issues. Roads The road adjacent to the Ring Road is mainly used to access the nearby workshops. There is a need to adjust the street levels and provide a direct lane from the Ring Road. Some of the internal roads between houses are not paved and need to be upgraded for better pedestrian and vehicular accessibility.
Figure62 Accessibility and connectivity map for Istabl Antar Source: Participants (Accessibility group)
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 47
2- Stakeholders Analysis
community dwellers Staircases (vertical circulation)
Tunnels
Private Sector Government Roads and Transportation
Figure63 Stakeholders Analysis Source: Participants (Accessibility group)
3- CAP Table Objectives
Strategies -External
Facilitate access to & from the area for daily services
Activities
Time
-Provide direct access from the Ring Road
Strengthen connectivity to dis-Maintain existing tricts surrounding state of tunnels (rethe area. moving waste & adding lighting) -Internal -Paving main roads for Enable easier vehicle accessibility circulation for pedestrians & -Upgrading existing Vehicles. staircases to Dar Elsalam & El-Zahraa
Could be implemented on long term (Ring Road).
Who Formal Intervention: -Government -CBOs & NGOs -Funding from private sector
Target Group All dwellers of the area -Anyone accessing Istabl Antar
Local Initiatives
-Provide new stairs to increase accessibility
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 48
Presentation to the stakeholders as resident groups, CBO representative, private sector representatives. Presentation in Istabl Antar and community discussion on the workshop outcomes, general solutions and proposals for problems in Ezbet Khair Allah and Istabl Antar Location Local cafe in Ezbet Khair Allah Duration 3 to 4 hours
Figure 64 Presentation samples Source: Participants
Figure 65 Summer school participants with Istabl Antar citizens
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 49
Farewell Final presentation in Ainshams University
Figure 66 Group Photo of the Summer school participants with experts and DAAD representativies
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 50
DAAD presentation in Ainshams University
Figure 67 DAAD Presentation
Closing Ceremony in Azhar Park
Figure 68 Group Photo at Al-Azhar park
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo. 51
Appendix participant reflections Participation in a summer school can leave you with acquired knowledge or it can change your perspective on a specific subject or on life on the whole. My experience in participating in the New Urban Revolution summer school in Cairo can be considered of the latter type. The experience of working among a multi-disciplinary group gave me the opportunity to learn how others think and act according to their own experiences and knowledge. This transfer of knowledge and skills was really priceless. Listening to experts and having lectures from experts with different perspectives (economists, urban planners, local authorities, NGOs, professors and others) helped us to see the issue from different point of views for a more comprehensive understanding of the situation. And then participating with the community gave us the chance to make our own conclusions and perceptions. Another important lesson we all learned from the summer school was putting aside all stereotypes and preconceptions when dealing communities on the ground. To really know the real problems and all the dimensions you have to go deep and deal with the communities to better understand their potentials and constraints, their strengths and weaknesses. As per teaching and organizing, I believe that the great effort the organizing team did showed in the end. We as participants, were introduced to very effective, high quality teaching approaches, daily discussions and presentations, all which showed us the outcome of our work before the day’s end, leaving us eager for the next step. As per the subject of the workshop, I learned a lot about informal areas, the daily life of its residents, their problems and their rights. • I learned that to solve a problem appropriately you have to search for the causes not for the symptoms. • I learned that for any community, participation and involvement can enhance their sense of belonging and ownership to their area and ultimately impact their daily routine and lifestyle forever. • I learned that some issues cannot be solved by communal efforts alone and needs support from the authorities. However, people always attempt to find solutions without external help and in many cases they succeed. • I learned that we should not go to people and tell them what to do, we should not go with our own agendas and think that we know what is best for them. We should watch, listen and learn before we try to translate our observations into action plans. Last but not least, in summer school, I learned that all of us, experts, participants, and community members, no matter our background or our education level all have one goal in mind and everyone can be beneficial towards achieving that goal, and sometime the smallest actor in the process may have the greatest effect . Mahmoud Islam Gad Elhak
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
Appendix participant reflections It has been an honor participating in this summer school and the following points are some of the reflections of the summer school on my knowledge and my personal life. • Dealing with participants and organizers with different backgrounds and professions. • Gained group work experience. • I made new friends. • I knew more about the GIZ, DAAD, ISDF and UN habitat and their efforts on modifying the life quality of people in Egypt. • Field visits to some local informal areas in Cairo that I did not even hear about. • Learned about the lifestyle of people different informal areas, and how people react when they see us trying to help, some were aggressive, others were friendly… etc. • Knew more about the roles of NGO’s and CBO’s in the informal areas. • Knew about the politicians who help the poor people in the informal areas to win the parliament elections, and then leave them again. • I’ve learned that the source of informal settlement problem is politics, not urban design or architecture; it is the governmental policies that made the people leave their rural areas to go to Cairo for better services, even if they will live in slums.
Mahmoud El-Shabrawy
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
Appendix participant reflections In the NUR – Summer school program, it gave me a complete new dimension and a new perspective on life If I am to first describe Istabl Antar, which is a well known informal area in greater Cairo, I will not mention how deteriorated the buildings are, how unpaved the streets are, or how bad the living conditions seem to be (which most of us took for granted). I will mention the great people I met, the lessons I learned from simply as an observer, the sense of happiness, and the essence of hope in the eyes of the children playing around the well. The past ten days were full of mental, physical and above all an emotional effort. It is a fact that we only have a few chances in our lives where we can deeply get in touch with who we really are, at those times the excess exposure to real life means a lot of lessons, and conclusions. The Top ten reflections from the Istabl Antar Experience were: 1. Urbanity and politics are sisters from different mothers! 2. It is not about definitions, it is about perceptions. 3. To reach the right solutions we should integrate the right people. 4. The three essential ingredients of effective community-based development that we have to fairly distribute our efforts among are: people, process, and product. We should never, by any means, ignore any of them 5. If I am to tell you the secret of any successful dialogue, it is the approach: approach the right people, in the right time, through the right questions 6. Look way behind what you see and what you hear. There are tons of stories behind the scenes. Analyze! 7. Think about the “Why Not”. Count the blessings of paradoxical thinking 8. We should use words, power and emotions wisely and never abuse their use. 9. It is all about cooperation towards the same goal, It should never be about competition – United we Stand. 10. The only thing that has to accompany us in the journey of learning and development is hope Last but not least, summer school participants, I certainly learned from every one of you a lot.
Mennatullah Hendawy
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
Appendix participant reflections This summer school is different than other workshops I participated in since the atmosphere of work was very beneficial. All participants have a motivation for sharing knowledge and information, all with the same aim to develop and upgrade informal areas in Cairo. In the following paragraphs I will summarize my experience at the summer school from two major points; the social and practical fields. First talking about social aspects it can be divided into three groups, first the group of the experts and professors who introduced different lectures related to the topic. What makes these lectures more valuable is the open discussion that was held after each session, which opened the floor for fruitful debates and the exchange different points of views. The second group is the summer school participants themselves and how the different disciplines reacted together in approaching a certain goal. Not only were they from multidisciplinary fields, but also from a variety of ages, and both genders, and of course the variety in educational levels starting from undergraduate to PhD students. All of these factors led to an interesting and intellectual exchange. The third social group is the community of Istabl Antar. Dealing with this group was a different experience, it was also a personal challenge for me to get involved with them. The timing of the summer school after the Egyptian revolution is considered critical for some of us to get into informal areas and to deal with the community there. We couldn’t foresee their reactions toward a group of people introduced to their community with foreigners who wanted to initiate a dialogue for collecting data about their life and their area. However, what we found was totally unexpected, they opened their doors to us and talked about their life with the hope for a better lifestyle for themselves and their children. The second point, the practical field during the summer school. The concept of working in different groups led to dealing with different people, knowing different opinions and several ways of thinking. Grouping was not the only factor in shaping the final product of each phase, but also the task and time are two key elements in creating the quality and content of the product. What I found mainly critical for us is the period of summer school (10 days). This was a challenge for me as the concept of participatory design requires more time to get involved with the community and to collect data, to analyze and to deal with it suitably. Another challenge for me was during presenting our work to the community. It required simplifying technical terms that we are accustomed to using and highlighting the main points without getting into technical details. This is in addition to trying to attract - and keep - their attention and get them involved in taking the decisions. Summer school helped me to better understand informal areas in Cairo and gave me the opportunity to get involved in the daily life of communities living in them. Also, it gave me the opportunity to visit and see an upgrading project made in informal areas and to know the pros and cons of each of these projects. Last but not least dealing with different people is a valuable asset that cannot be neglected. Mona Mannoun
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
Appendix participant reflections First of all I would thank you all for having the summer school in Cairo with this topic and also for giving me the chance to participate in it. The real experience in “Istabl Antar� during the program gave me a new dimension and a clear perspective on the challenges facing informal settlements in Cairo. The brainstorming, which we had everyday during the workshops before or after site visits, provoked my strong interest in issues that affect urban development and the future of urbanity. The variety of the professions, backgrounds, and ages of the summer school participants made the enriched discussions and covered many aspects. The 10 days of the summer school were fully scheduled, between lectures, site visits and workshops for discussions and presentations. It was a big challenge and also a practice for time management. NUR Team was friendly, supportive, and professional which did complement the summer school vision and objectives. Finally as a Ph.D. student in urban planning and researching integrating the reuse of urban brownfield in future urban development of the Greater Cairo Region, I found my attendance in the summer school very beneficial to my research and improved my knowledge and experience about the urban planning challenges in Greater Cairo Region.
Thank you for everything and I look forward for more summer schools.
Rania Aglan
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.
Appendix participant reflections The entire 10-day experience cannot be summed up in words, for they truly represent a 30-40 year-old problem in Egypt. However, if I have to try to put it down in words, then I want to fragment it into three areas where I want to give my feedback: the process, the people, and the informal areas. The process was carefully and well planned by the summer school team, fragmenting it into different phases and trying to maximize the usage of the schedule with as much activities and workshops as possible. In terms of the academic information provided, I found it beneficial and covered the different aspects of the complex problem in a comprehensive way that did not provide us with ready-made answers, but rather with so many questions, which is exactly what a perfect academic session should do. The other workshops and presentations, especially the debriefing helped clear up the mixed ideas and gave room for the exchange of useful information that was beneficial as well. Concerning the people, there are three groups of people that I want to talk about, the organizing team, the participants and the people in the informal areas. The organizing team worked really hard around the clock and it showed in the quality of the summer school and its content and it was obvious that they relied on high calibers, whether Germans or Egyptians, to deliver the lectures. The debriefing sessions and the flexible mentality by which they dealt with us, the participants, was also another good thing about the summer school. The participants were enthusiastic, however, I found that we were mostly from engineering or political science backgrounds and it would have definitely helped if other background were integrated. Finally the people from the informal areas, I was not surprised to find out how passive and negative they were for they have heard so many promises for so long and they were no longer able to trust anyone, yet I was frustrated because they thought outsiders were responsible for fixing anything and everything, and that someone could come from the countryside, occupy a vacant land, build an informal/illegal house and then demand the people’s support to make his life better. I also did not like the fact that we used those people as laboratory rats and then abandoned them, only making their negativity and passiveness worse. The final point I wanted to tackle was the informal areas themselves. The living conditions there were terrible and inhumane, but the more we talked to the people and tried to reach solutions the more I felt there should be a solution from above, from a bigger entity such as the government. Sure the people have to be involved and participate in the process, however, the problem is very big that the government has to step in. I would have loved to have seen some success stories from different countries to give me and the people in the informal areas some hope and motivation. All in all, it was an eye-opening experience to a problem that we all know needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, and it made me personally keen on pursuing a solution to it depending on my own background, political science. Thank you so much for this experience, and hopefully there will be future collaboration and a promising development in the time to come. Sally Rabei
Summer School 2011:The New Urban Revolution in Greater Cairo.