Karmouz SAWP Culture Walks Report (urbego elmadina) nov 2016 by Urbego

URBEGO

/ EUROPE

EL-MADINA FOR PERFORMING AND DIG ITAL ARTS / EGYPT

SAWP C U LT U R E WALKS REPORT KARMOUZ ALEXANDRIA TO.

All interested DATE .

November 2016

4 –7 INTRODUCTION

8–11 PARTNERS

12–13 THE COLL ABOR ATION STORY

14–17 PROJECT & PARTNERSHIP PHASES

THE CENTRAL QUESTION OF THIS REPORT IS ABOUT H OW C U LT U R E A N D H U M A N

18–19 BRIEF ABOUT KARMOUZ

20 –23 INTRO TO THE WORKSHOP

POTENTIALS CAN BECOME

24–25

A TOOL TO EMPOWER THE

MAPPING?

LOCAL COMMUNIT Y AND A WAY FOR V ISI TOR S TO DISCOVER THE CHARACTER OF A PLACE.

WHAT IS CULTUR AL

26–27 WORKSHOP S TAKEHOLDERS

28–37 WORKSHOP AGENDA, PROCESS AND TOOLS

38–39 FINDINGS/COLL ABOR ATIVE MAP

40–53 WALKABILITY EXPERIENCE IN KARMOUZ

54–63 PROPOSALS

64-65 CONCLUSION

66–67 ACTORS & PARTNERS

“CHANGE IN SOCIETY

S TA R T S W H EN C I T I Z EN S T H E M S E LV E S C O N T R I B U T E A N D PA R T I C I PAT E TO BUILDING EFFECTIVE A N D C R E AT I V E R EL AT I O NS H I P S T H AT WO R K O N CONQUERING THE RIGHT TO T H E C I T Y ”.

FAR AH MAKKI ARCHITECT & URBEGO CO-FOUNDER

An architect achieving a PhD in social sciences (EHESS, Paris) with practical experience in France, Lebanon and Italy. Her work includes designing and consulting in housing, walkability strategies, cultural and urban design through community engagement. Since 2014, Farah teached Sociology of Housing at ENSA Malaquais in Paris. In 2012, she became a member of the International Ambiances Network promoting the sensory domain in questioning the architectural and urban lived space. In 2013, she co-founded Urbego, an international platform for urban professionals. Since then, she has held a number of workshops and conferences in Venice, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Tirana, and Alexandria. Farah is also a member of Tandem network for cultural managers.

Cities in Egypt are facing since years a big challenge regarding the democratic city making. Cities are in constant conflict and in challenging construction. The inefficient political system led to the expansion of bottom-up initiatives and neighborhood’s organizations that keep on innovating, listening to citizens and collaborating with other civil societies groups in other cities to make constant improvements. The collaboration between Urbego and ElMadina contributes to a dynamic where cities are able to make urban place-making more cooperative and open for inhabitants. During our work in Alexandria, we invited different stakeholders, specifically locals, to cooperate in a flexible frame, exchanging experiences and scenarios to plan concrete solutions with clear objectives. Change in society starts when citizens themselves contribute and participate to building effective and creative relationships that work on conquering the right to the city. Our action in Karmouz is a small step to counterbalance a rigid political system, implemented since many years. It represents an inclusive and positive way of thinking without fear of change. Several actions are taking place in the neighborhood through social development projects carried by organizations such as ElSarh, who works on women empowerment, youth illiteracy or unemployment, micro-entrepreneur support and capacity building. This popular mobilization still hasn’t gained wider space at the political level but is concretely contributing to a meaningful reform in inhabitants daily life. Replication actions are needed to spread similar initiatives and drive a broader social campaign including major groups of individuals so change becomes more effective. Creating a more united voice requests advanced empowerment actions and full awareness among individuals regarding the importance and the global consequences of each single step and knowledge. Society can’t evolve, indeed, if individual mind-sets don’t embrace the will to progress and respond to problems of education, health, mobility and gender or social inequalities. All society members must contribute, including men, women, and children. In Karmouz, many women mediate in situations of conflict and contribute to the economic ascension of their families. Some NGO-s are even encouraging the feminization of politics by empowering women

to raise their voice and give inputs to the system’s regulations and policies. Nevertheless, we are still far away from accomplishing an effective reform. The way is still long and hard. Women empowerment is crucial for raising bigger awareness for education, civic development, and employment. Women influence the transmission chain to many society members ( to a brother as a sister, to a child as a mother, to a partner as a wife, etc). Empowering them might have an effective and positive influence on many individuals and, consequently, on social development. Therefore, there is an urgent need to overcome ignorance, encourage emancipation, promote collaborative development between all society members to improve our democracies. Recent years were the years of cities’ revolution. Egypt went through the Arab Spring, which turned to be a political uncertainty moment that shifted hope time into one of the darkest moment in Egypt history. Political change couldn’t be achieved because sustainability can’t happen in time of fragmentation of individual initiatives and citizens’ ignorance of what social development, modernity, and democracy mean. Asking citizens to be the protagonists and to practice their right to the city requests empowerment actions, capacity buildings, and visions transmission. The city is indeed the place to do this. Neighborhoods are the core of a concrete reform. They are spaces for proximity between various actors, easily open for dialog, transfer of knowledge and collective actions. We saw people in Karmouz who were not bothered about politics as soon as we were proposing a “citizen discussion” and a moment to share their life and daily stories. That’s why, as Urbego and ElMadina, we are optimistic, but recognize that common steps need to be done so this proximity with residents creates positive solutions for the living environment. When would it lead to concrete policies? It is quite far according to the actual political situation, although it isn’t impossible as soon as citizens and civil organization gain space on the urban debate. SAWP -culture walks project works, concretely, on empowering citizens and planning a tactful strategy for social development through the alternative language of culture.

About

sawp culture walks project

“CULT UR E WA L K S” IS T HE FIR S T PH A SE O F SAWP S T R AT EGY * (SPACE S FOR A RTS , WEL FA R E A ND PROGRESS) CONDUCTED WITHIN A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN URBEGO AND ELMADINA AND SUPPORTED BY T HE TA NDEM SH A ML A ND IDE AC A MP PRO G R A MS . T HIS COL L A BOR AT ION PROJEC T BE T WEEN EUROPE AND THE ARAB WORLD WORKED ON EXPLORING NEW VENUES IN THE ALEXANDRIAN NEIGHBORHOOD, K ARMOUZ, TO PROMOTE THEM AS SPACES FOR ARTS A ND CULT UR E . S AW P, A S T R AT E G I C C O N C E P T I N I T I AT E D I N 2013 BY EL M A DIN A , A IMS TO SUPP ORT CR E AT I V E ECO N O MIE S O F CULT UR E , WHI CH C A N A S SIS T SUS TA IN A BL E DE V ELOPMEN T A ND R A ISE CI T IZENS’ AWARENESS ON HOW TO USE LOCAL RESOURCES F O R S TA R T- U P S O C I A L E N T E R P R I S E S A N D S O C I A L IMAGE ENHANCEMENT. URBEGO SUPPORTED A ND FACIL I TAT ED T HE IMPL EMEN TAT ION OF T HE S T R AT EGY ’ S FIR S T S T EP BY DEL I V ER ING A N UR BA N E XPERT ISE O N CULT UR A L M A PPIN G A ND N EI G H B O R H O O D P OT EN T I A L A N A LYSI S D R AW I N G , T HUS , A P OSSIB L E “O PEN-UP ” S T R AT EGY, A ND PROMOTING A VALUABLE IMAGE OF K ARMOUZ. THE CENTRAL QUESTION OF THIS REPORT IS CERTA I N LY A B O U T H OW CU LT U R E A N D H U M A N POTENTIALS CAN BECOME A TOOL TO EMPOWER THE LOC AL COMMUNIT Y AND A WAY FOR VISITORS TO DISCOVER THE CHARACTER OF THE PLACE. THESE PAG E S A R E T HE R E SULT O F T HIS CO L L A B O R AT I V E E XCH A NG E. A WOR K BA SED ON A PA RT ICIPATORY WOR K SHOP T H AT TO OK PL ACE IN A L E X A NDR I A I N A P R I L 2 016 A N D I N VO LV ED 2 5 PA R T I C I PA N T S FROM 5 DIFFERENT SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN MEDITERR ANE AN COUNTRIES (EGYPT, LEBANON, FR A N CE , G R EECE , A N D I TA LY ). T H E AC TO R S HAD DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS RANGING FROM ARCHITECTS, URBAN PLANNERS, ARTISTS, RESEARCHERS, CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS. I T A L S O I N VO LV ED I N H A B I TA N T S O F K A R M O U Z N EI G H B O R H O O D A N D CO M M U N I T Y-B A SED ORG A NIZ AT IONS SUCH A S EL SA R H A SSO CI AT ION .

Urbego

WHO WE ARE

We encourage and support co-creation, youth involvement in decision-making and international knowledge sharing.

9 A N IN T ER N AT I O N A L NE T WO R K O F U R BA N PROFESSIONALS AND LOCAL OFFICES D ED I C AT ED TO IMPROV IN G T HE QUA L I T Y OF LIFE IN CITIES THROUGH ACTIVE PA RT I CIPAT I O N , CO - CR E AT I O N A ND KNOWLEDGE SHARING. OUR PROJECTS ARE BA SED O N T HE IN T ER PL AY O F CO - CR E AT I O N , YO U T H EN G AG EMEN T, A ND IN T ER N AT I O N A L I N VO LV EM EN T. W E B EL I E V E T H AT C I T I E S A R E PRO D U C TS O F R EL AT I O NS , O F CO NNEC T I O NS A ND IN T ER AC T I O NS T H AT A R E CO NS T RU C T ED AND DE-CONSTRUCTED OVER TIME. A N U R BA N PRO B L EM IS A CO MM U NI C AT I O N PROBLEM; IT IS AN UNACCOMPLISHED CO NNEC T I O N . T H AT S A ID, WE B EL IE V E T H AT T HE RO OT O F CO N T EMP O R A RY S O CI A L UNREST IN MANY CITIES AROUND THE GLOBE IS THE INABILITY TO RECOGNIZE CITIES AS SPACE S O F CO E X I S T I N G H E T ERO G EN EI T Y. CONTINUED IGNORANCE PRODUCES MISU ND ER S TA ND IN G S; I T PRO D U CE S INEFFEC T I V E P O L I CIE S T H AT FU RT HER D IS CO U R AG E PA RT I CIPAT I O N , M A RG IN A L IZE

#1 MORE THAN 20 WORKSHOPS

GROUPS AND CONTRIBUTE TO A GROWING

OVERALL 200

G LO B A L PRO B L EM O F S O CI A L I N EQ UA L I T Y.

URBAN EXPERTS

FOR THIS REASON, OUR MISSION IS TO

IMPROV E CO MM U NI C AT I O N , EN CO U R AG E IN T ER AC T I O N , A ND O PER AT E IN A N O PEN

A N INTERN ATI O N A L

S YS T EM T H AT SU PP O RTS VA R I E T Y. W E

COMMUNITY

ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT A STRONG CO MMI T MEN T TO CO - CR E AT I O N , A

CO NTAC T

WIL L IN G NE S S TO PA RT I CIPAT E IN D ECISI O N-

MAKING, AND THE SHARING OF NEW

farah.makki@urbego.net

KNOWLEDGE THROUGH LOCAL, REGIONAL

A ND G LO BA L CO MM U NI C AT I O N CH A NNEL S .

team@urbego.org www.urbego.org

PROJECT INFO

GENERAL

El-Madina

WHO WE ARE

ELMADINA WAS FOUNDED IN 2000 IN ALE X ANDRIA , EGYP T. THROUGH TR AINING S , PRODUCTION, AND MANAGEMENT OF CU LT U R A L SPACE S , EL M A D IN A H A S B EEN WORKING ON PROMOTING ARTS AND CU LT U R E A ND SU PP O RT IN G A RT IS TS A ND YO U T H INI T I AT I V E S . EL M A D IN A A L S O SEEK S T HE CR E AT I O N O F A CU LT U R E M A R K E T FOR ARTISTS IN ALEXANDRIA AS IT IS O NE O F T HE M A IN CU LT U R A L CEN T R E S IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. TO ACHIEVE THIS, ELMADINA WORKS ON TRANSFORMING PUBLIC SPACES AND MARGINALIZED AREAS TO SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN PR ACTICE FR EE E X PR E S SI O N , CR E AT IN G A CO HE SI V E SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM. EL M A D IN A B EL IE V E S T H AT AC T I V E CI T IZENS ARE THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO ART AND HENCE THEY ARE THE SOLO GUARANTEE FO R T HE SUS TA IN A B IL I T Y O F T HIS A RT. BELIEVING IN THIS, ELMADINA SEEKS RESTORING ART AS AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE AND THE M A IN PA R A ME T ER FO R SUS TA IN A B L E H U M A N AND SOCIAL DE VELOPMENT. ART COMES A S A D E T ER MIN A N T FAC TO R FO R D EM O CR AC Y, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. ELMADINA, THROUGH ITS PROJECTS, IS K EEN O N TA RG E T IN G T HE A RT IS TS , YOUTH GROUPS, AND WOMEN FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS.

ElMadina believes that active citizens are those who contribute to art and hence they are the solo guarantee for the sustainability of this art.

CO NTAC T #

PROJECT INFO

mohabsaber@elmadinaarts.com #

GENERAL

6 Fouad St., Al Attarin, Alexandria, 21512, Egypt elmadina@elmadinaarts.com www.elmadinaarts.com

How did we get here? MOHAB SABER E L- M A D I N A E X E C U T I V E DIRECTOR

Mohab Saber is an Egyptian producer, art manager and the executive director of ElMadina for Performing and Digital Arts, with ten years of wide experience in MENA region, as well as the Euro Mediterranean region. Mohab has a long commitment to the non-profit cultural sector, with an intensive focus on performing arts training and production for stage and street Arts. He worked as a consultant in many prestigious organizations, as Ashoka (VA, USA). Mohab is the core team member of the U40 Arabesque network of the UNESCO for the Arab region. He has many publications and participated in various international workshops, art festivals and conferences.

In February 2013, ElMadina worked in Karmouz in preparation for a ten-day storytelling workshop in the framework of “Training in The Street” Project. The workshop addressed the shared values, nature of social relations in this community and what it is famous for as a neighborhood. By the end of the workshop and with the consensus of the neighborhood residents, we chose the place around the central mosque of Karmouz in Khofo Street for setting the stage for the final performance. Organizing such a creative art performance around a central mosque in a neighborhood known for widespread violent activities might sound horrifying and not accepted by many. However, what we intended by choosing this area as the location for our performance is to prove that meaningful art can coexist and share the same space with profound religious institutions, represented in our case by the mosque. Our decision to hold the performance in the same area where the mosque is located was even supported by the Imam of the mosque who was engaged in the workshop as an active participant. The Imam also contributed significantly to the performance as one of its core storytellers. This simple story reflects the essence of “Training in The Street” Project that was carried out between 2011 and 2014. Helen Van Gigch, Trainer at the “Dance and Parcours” workshop, mentioned the most comprehensive definition for this project. She defined the project as “a significant opportunity for not just performing art in urban spaces but also for expressing ourselves and our art differently and dynamically by utilizing the space and the place around us. These art performances would help envision these urban places differently bringing change to these spaces for once and all.” In June 2013, and during Aashima Praveen’s internship in ElMadina in Alexandria, she was working closely with Ahmed Saleh, ElMadina’s director, on developing a strategic plan for one of our new projects at that time. The primary objective of this project was to pave the way for artistic production in marginalized and less developed public spaces in Alexandria. The project was designed to include three programs; for music, performing arts and literature over a period of one year, entitled Spaces for Arts, Welfare and Progress “SAWP.” The idea behind this project was to capitalize on our experience in many different neighborhoods in Alexandria. Karmouz was the first community encouraging us to adopt a more sustainable developmental approach through the creation of long-run programs in one neighborhood. Karmouz was the perfect district to start with given the richness of its urban and culture resources. At the beginning of 2014 and with the crackdown on civil society in Egypt, many organizations were experiencing a hard time both landing funding opportunities and working in public spaces. Consequently, it was very challenging to secure the resources needed to bring SAWP project into existence. To mitigate for this challenge, more creative industries were sought to bring the elements of sustainability and financial stability to the

project. As a first step, I decided to break down the project into smaller parts in a way to capitalize on the new strategies of proper development and to use creative entrepreneurship. Over this process, SAWP Project was turned to a more comprehensive approach for exploring new venues in the Alexandrian neighborhoods, turning them into spaces for arts and culture. The aim was to support creative industries that would ensure sustainable development and awareness-raising of the citizens; Citizens who are capable of using their local resources in starting up social enterprises contributing to the social image enhancement through women empowerment in local decision-making and ensuring sustainability on the long run. Karmouz was chosen to be the first neighborhood to implement our strategy in, and to be our model for change During 2015, we decided to launch the research and development phase of SAWP Project. The time when Tandem/Shaml program of Mitost and Idea Camp program of the European Culture Foundation opened their calls for applications. In September 2015 and during Tandem exchange in Beirut, I had my first meeting with Farah Makki, the co-founder of Urbego Network for Urban Planners in Europe. Over three days of working together, we came up with a collaborative idea to bring urban expertise to artistic strategy. We wanted to merge ElMadina and Urbego methodologies to implement a pilot phase of SAWP Project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Culture Walksâ&#x20AC;? project has then started. The aim was to map the cultural potentials of Karmouz and identify strategic places where venues of art and culture skills sharing can be implemented. The cultural mapping of Karmouz used the data collected from the fieldwork conducted by the workshop participants and coordinated by our project partner Farah Makki. This data was complied, treated, analyzed, summarized to formulate a book that will be further used for promoting the culture potentials in Karmouz neighborhood. and organizing artistic events. This work comes in addition to developing the timeline for all the significant religious celebrations specific to this district. Overall actions seek to celebrate, reveal and support existing cultural diversity enhancing economic, social and cultural development.

Mohab Saber SAWP Project Manager

Tandem Shaml EUROPE - ARAB REGION The programme supports experimental collaborations between cultural change makers from the Arab region and Europe. This exchange and knowledge development programme allows cultural professionals from many different disciplines to acquire skills required for engaging in long-term partnerships. The Tandem process provides hands-on possibilities for getting real insights into European and Arab cultural scenes. Participants will gain practical experiences in collaborating with rapidly changing fields in both regions. Tandem Shaml is based on the organisersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; belief that working together on tangible cross-border initiatives creates fruitful cultural dialogue among different groups and engages and exposes distant communities to each other. www.tandemforculture.org/

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n rli Be

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Tandem

meetings & timeline

CO LL A B O R ATI O N PROJ EC T

SEP 2015 BEIRUT TANDEM KICK OFF MEE TING & PARTNERSHIP FORUM

OCT 2015 COLL ABOR ATION PROJEC T SUBMISSION

NOV 2015 PROJEC T SELEC TION FOR GR ANT TANDEM SHAML & IDE A C AMP

JAN 2016 BERLIN TANDEM MEE TING & PROJEC T FR AME WORK DEFINITION

FEB TO APR 2016 BUILDING LOC AL PARTNERSHIPS , RESE ARCH AND DATA COLLEC TION

APR 2016 ALE X ANDRIA WORK SHOP FOR CULT UR AL MAPPING

JUN 2016 MAROCCO TANDEM INTERMEDIARY MEE TING FOR COLL ABOR ATION MONITORING AND FINANCIAL REPORT

JUN TO OCT 2016 BOOK & REP ORT EL ABOR ATION ABOU T K ARMOUZ WORKSHOP/ PARIS CONFERENCE & REVIEW

NOV 2016

KARMOUZ ARTISTIC STREET EVENTS & BOOK PROMOTION

DEC 2016 MARSEILLE FINAL TANDEM MEE TING & E XHIBITION AT L A VILL A MEDITERR ANÃ&#x2030;E

Sa Cu ltu re Wa

lk s

PHA S E ONE CONCEPT & PARTNERSHIP

• Concept formulation & Project canvas • Project plan and Budgeting • Building Partnership • Selection of needed expertise

PHASE TWO RESEARCH, FIELD WORK & PROPOSALS

• Research : overview of available Data and Materials

• Field Work preparation: Period definition/ Working Groups /Topics

• Workshop development: Data collection, interviews, Physical assessment and collaborative mapping

• Proposals formulation and collecting presentations

PHA SE THREE DISSEMINATION

• Booklet and report content definition

• Compiling, Writing, Designing and request of additional Data

• Book and report formulation and review

• Artistic event and book promotion • Results and Collaboration dissemination through an international Exhibition

Z U O M R A K T U O B A

Br ief

Population distribution

1805

1855

1905

1955

POMPEY PILLAR (KARMOUZ)

HELLENISTIC & ROMAN ERA

1756

1902

JACQUEMONTS INFLUENCE

1912

ALEXANDRIA

1977

Administratively, Karmouz district makes part of Alexandria West district. It is a popular neighborhood known as a marginalized area with issues of drug dealing and gangs conflicts. Hence Karmouz urban history reveals a significant heritage. The original site of Karmouz housed a small village named Rhakotis. It was the ancient Egyptians' settlement on the Mediterranean, well before Alexander the Great attributes the name of "Alexandria" to the city. Karmouz name derives from Greek (Krmos). It refers to the “fig” fruit that perhaps has grown and was widespread in this area all the way to the «head figs area» (Râss al-tîn). Rakhotis meant, instead, "the place of building" for some scholars, or "the fishing village" for some others. It was known by this name until the end of the Byzantine Era. Rakhotis became an official part of Alexandria’s five official districts since its Hellenistic foundation as the capital of Egypt in 330 BC. Alexandria was chosen to be the center of world’s activity and knowledge for its strategic location. It was far enough from the Delta avoiding floods, yet close enough for trading. The city was supplied with fresh water from the Nile, and faced a small island, Pharos, that Alexander had read about in Homer’s Odyssey and considered as tactical for defense together with the Lake Mariut, located in the south. When Alexander died in 333 BC, the Empire was divided into three kingdoms: Antigonids (Macedonia and Greece), Seleucids (Western Asian and Iran) and Ptolemy I (Rule of Egypt). The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled over Alexandria for the 300 years. Ptolemy I undertook the city planning and assigned Dinocrates of Rhodes, a Greek architect. The city was split into four quadrants by two avenues; The Canopic Way and Street of Soma (actual Horreya Street and Nabi Daniel). The layout of the Hippodamian system ensured the ventilation of the city by the prevailing winds coming from the north. The library of Ancient Alexandria is the most notable building from the Ptolemy Period. It showcased a critical effort to disseminate knowledge in the ancient world. What is not well known is that there were two libraries in Ancient Alexandria. A large one in the Brucheum Quarter was attached to the museum and a smaller one in the Serapeum, a famous temple. This extension of the primary library was implemented on the Pompey pillars site in Karmouz where we can observe some remaining vaults.

Karmouz witnessed, therefore, an urban life since the Hellenistic city. Most of the district was part of the area within the town walls. Until the 9th century, only the necropolis, the original site of Kom al-Shuqâfa site, stood outside. In 868 AD, Ibn Tulûn declared Egypt independent from the Arab Empire. His dynasty ruled Egypt for about half a century. During this reign, he constructed new walls, fortified the coast, and renovated the lighthouse (797 AD). The new walls included half of the original Greek City, as the city was in decline. From this period, Karmouz site stood outside the city walls and was accessible through a gate, named Bâb al-‘Âmûd or Bâb Sidra. After a marginal position during Fatimid, Ayyûbîd and Ottoman rules, Karmouz was later annexed to the urban fabric during the second half of 19th century. In fact, when Napoleon landed in 1798, Alexandria was just a village of 4,000 people. Between 1801 and 1805, the city passed through a period of Anarchy. Mohamed Ali, an Ottoman Soldier, took control of the city, started a dynasty and planned to rebuild Alexandria. The population increased from 4,000 to 143,000 during his time in power before he died in 1848. Mohamed Said continued this vision for economic revival. A railway connection was set up between Alexandria and Cairo in 1856. Then, in 1873, the French Jacquemont was chosen to plan the streets. He applied the French tradition of radial planning to the already existing Greek and Turkish plan. The new program extended the urban fabric and demolished the walls from the Arab Era. Peripheral areas were connected again to the inner city and Karmouz joined the urban fabric and emerged as it is now known.

URBAN SITUATION

POPUL ATION

West District of Alexandria

532,097 inhabitants

ADMINISTR ATIVE

20,07 km2 DIVISION

Karmouz section area

4.77 km2

Mina Al-Basal Section

15.30 Km 2

15 government buildings 15 archaeological buildings / 7 markets / 700 Streets / 105 vacant lands

ALEXANDRIA KARMOUZ

EURO-ARAB ALEXANDRIA WORKSHOP APRIL 2016

Where 6 Fouad St, ElAtareen, Alexandria, Egypt Who 25 participants from 5 different southern and northern Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Lebanon, France, Greece, and Italy). The actors had different professional backgrounds ranging from architects, urban planners, artists, researchers, civil society activists. It also involved inhabitants of Karmouz neighborhood, and community-based organizations such as ElSarh Association. Objective The aim of Sawp-culture walks is to support creative economies of culture, which can assist sustainable development and raise citizens’ awareness on how to use local resources for start-up social enterprises and for social image enhancement. During the in-situ participative workshop, the participants mapped cultural potentials (popular stories and physical spaces) in order to draw a neighborhood “open-up” strategy, and promote a new image of Karmouz by proposing “Culture walks” itineraries and reactivating public space. Partners & Sponsors Urbego / ElMadina for Performing and Digital Arts Tandem Shaml / European Culture Fund /ElSarh organization

WALKING IN KARMOUZ

One ordinary April morning, on a busy side street in Karmouz neighborhood, we’ve been heading toward the Don Bosco building when something unfamiliar drew our attention as we peered up our eyes: the tranquility of hanged wooden structures on the building rooftops interrupted the surrounding agitation. Driven by a stereotyped view of precarious living conditions, some of us associated “pigeon house” to informal settlement. Luckily, Ahmed’s presence, El-Madina Director, corrected our misinterpretation. “There are much more across the city”, he said; many in Karmouz that add over 10 meters to the buildings they stand on, house hundreds of pigeons each and deliver exceptional urban perspectives. From these pigeon lofts, inhabitants can see multiple structures that teeter above neighboring tenements. Our personal discovery didn’t consist of exploring these new landscapes, but in holding new eyes to deeply explore the daily life and physical setting of Karmouz streets. During our Tandem Shaml collaboration, with Mohab Saber, ElMadina Project Manager, we set a frame to foster knowledge exchange between European and Arab professionals. This collective moment enabled the cultural mapping of Karmouz characteristics, rendered, within this report and separate book, into walkable paths that people can explore with higher awareness. LOCAL UNAWARENESS

& STEREOTYPES

Many stereotyped views can prevent us from having a good overview of the valuable culture of a place. Various misunderstandings can occur even when we are aware of the barriers to effective cross-cultural communication, and thus even among people sharing the same cultural background. For many Alexandrians, Karmouz is indeed a disreputable neighborhood. Generalities state that it is an unsafe environment, repulsive for women, and a representation of social vulnerability. These stereotyped views considerably reduce the place attractiveness. Inhabitants widen more this gap by underestimating their potentials. You would hear comments such as: “we don’t have anything to offer!”, “there is nothing to see in here!”, “we are not violent, neither drug dealers!”. This cultural insecurity is emphasized by the inhabitants’ general unawareness of their history, culture, and resources. The act of breaking stereotypes requires a good knowledge of available potentials. These qualities emerge as soon as you interact with locals while their intimacy is respected. Karmouz encloses a high sense of hospitality, humility, and sociability indeed. Despite promoted fear, the days we’ve spent in Karmouz scrolled by getting more familiar with inhabitants who

face many challenges, especially waste management issues. Nevertheless, these destitute conditions must not deprive Karmouz of emphasizing any underestimated capacities. People affect places, and situations influence how people see themselves. An explicit recognition of the living environment qualities would support the positive perception of individuals, and further enhance the way they communicate their place to others. ASSESSING LOCAL IDENTITY : A COMPREHENSIVE AND INCLUSIVE APPROACH

This report exposes the process we went through to discover other facets of Karmouz. It makes a methodological effort to raise awareness about the common boundaries we have perceived while we’ve been doing this work. During this mission, we wanted to sensitively resolve stereotypes by recomposing and promoting a more valuable identity. Place character is the way in which a place illustrates the identity of people and the elements of its characteristic features. It is a space filled with meanings and represents a total human experience: the environment’s physical elements, activities or events mixed with the sociocultural features and perceptions. Accordingly, the reconstruction of Karmouz cultural identity results from people’s memories, familiarization, events, and meanings of some distinctive spaces. We have tried to look in depth at the narrow streets of a complex urban fabric. Our intention was to revisit Karmouz with our feet, to walk on history traces, go through distinctive markets, revealing and hearing authentic stories of the place. What has been revealed here is not exhaustive, as Karmouz needs more than dozens of pages to be described. In this process, ignorance was our greatest obstacle to discover what is going on. During our field work, we asked simple questions inviting inhabitants to share their knowledge through an artistic and cultural lens. Participants recorded cultural elements –tangibles ones like old artist coffees, craft industries, formal and spontaneous ones, distinctive landmarks, as well as the intangibles like memories, personal stories, and values. This compilation highlights elements that might make a community unique. It is a base that might allow us to get closer to a deeper sense of a neighborhood, going beyond typical stereotypes. The aim of this cultural mapping is to sustain Karmouz inhabitants in recognizing, celebrating, and supporting cultural diversity for further economic, social and urban development. Some faces for this old neighborhood are shared here: the ones of the craftsmen, historic sites, and popular stories.

Farah Makki Architect & Urbego Project Manager

G H T I U E D A IT IT KE EN T E S M R E I I C O S N N A Y U , E D C E L M TS , L U L V D D A N H A – E R U N E T R G TO OL EM A M C C S S I D K T O N V U E E O ND T H , R A A A E G N S L R R E E S N N SU L T S . T IE C IN IE U D D U T P S O IN O T S A S R P D V R H , R N O F A IT TH U A , P E D E D C L G R S G L R IA A , IS E U IB T U IO T T L R C L R T T E C A L T S O M IN IE N IN S U E N O U N . A S L D S R N G AK C S L T , A T U AL ER E A A A D L IV N R S A V E R M H A D E V A C IS W L A E E N Y A O P E L D T O G N P L M O O IV U I E L D P M R N E NG M O IE U U R G E F N S S S I N E M S I , C T IT A O TY T T . Y R H O M U F K M H ES O S U NI E E R M Q E NI E LP IT U L C T E C E H Y O , M O S N A M O E O P N N M M P T IC U R N S. O , IT A S I O C C ES H IA L

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OBJECTIVES

• Reveal cultural resources • Define a Unique identity • Sustain quality of the place • Community as a first resource

APPROACH

Traditional approaches to cultural mapping emphasize the centrality of community engagement. The process requires an in situ approach and interdisciplinary backgrounds. Such collaborative action of reading and investigating the spaces of culture often reveals unexpected resources and allows cross-community connections building. The methodology developed in Alexandria’s workshop associated cultural mapping with multidisciplinary professional backgrounds. This variety brought different perspectives and lectures to the built and social environments and allowed to widen the range of findings to tangible and intangible resources as it is illustrated in the figures on the right. The work illustrates a collaborative way to also encourage artistic intervention and public participation in cultural mapping. It addresses the challenges posed by artists and community involvement in various phases of the research process, from collecting and analyzing the data to models of sharing the findings

among different stakeholders. Three keynotes of this approach to take into consideration for further steps in Karmouz are: (1) the participatory and community engagement aspect, especially in the context of accessible mobile digital technologies couldn’t work for the case of Karmouz as access to the internet and digital mediums are very limited. This has been revealed by the limited participation we had during our online pre-field assessment. In situ assessments were indeed more productive. (2) Artists and neighborhood civic organizations involvement facilitated the mapping of the intangibilities of a place (e.g., stories, histories, etc.). If these aspects provide a “sense of place” and identity to specific locals., the workshop participants reflected on the ways in which those meanings and values may be transformed into urban experiences. In a further section, we mention the walls of stories as a tool for urban story-telling. (3) Collaborative research with the community supports a better understanding of their role in cultural and social development. But how to foster the creation or the recreation of such an experience? The question of trust was essential in the case of Karmouz. Before approaching and dialoguing with the inhabitants, it was important to create connections with people of trust in Karmouz who accompanied us and mediated our work. Building a network and planning actions together over time is an essential step for scale-up and extending mapping. Many questions are raised : • How can we build collaborative processes for local development? And how cultural mapping methodologies can be improved and accessible for the wider community? • How can academic/professional knowledge be effectively applied to solving issues at the community level by translating the collected data into small urban interventions? And how can the community knowledge be useful for the academic world and methodologies? • How can the intangible dimension better enable us to understand and address the identities and diversities of a community?

Cultural Mapping

Resources mapping

Identity mapping

“Things”

“Stories”

Music / Dance / Visual arts Literary / Multicultural / Theater

Sport games / Sport festivals

Cultural organizations

Indoor Sports / Outdoor sports

Sport

Theatre/ performance spaces Libraries / Cultural centres

Cultural venues / facilities

Community spaces /Universities/Schools Religious spaces

Café / Restaurant Market / Catering

Film festivals /Art Gallery

Culinary Art/ Food

Festivals, Events

Tours / Public art tours Heritage walks / Art shows

Cultural resources Advertising / Architecture Street Art Temporary events

Public Art

Cultural industries

Commercial arts & crafts /Design Event planning /Film/audio recording Photography / Research & development Music / Radio / Editing

Artists Natural Heritage Visual Artists / Performing artists

Cultural Heritage

Museums / Heritage buildings

Craftsmen / Literary artists ( poets, writers)

Historical sites / Archeological site Community Garden Botanical Garden Beaches/ Waterfront Places of interest

O H W

ta ke ho lde rs Wo rk sh op S

I NTE R N ATI O N A L

LOCAL

O RG A N IZ ATI O N

O RG A N IZ ATI O N S

Urbego team

Farah Makki Coordinator Alexandro Zomas

C U LT U R A L P R I VAT E

Kamar Makki

O RG A NIZ ATI O N

Carla Felicetti

El-Madina

Mara Papavasiliou Nour Makki

Mohab Saber Ahmed Saleh Field facilitator Khouloud Essa Story Collector Sabry Saleem Story Collector Kirlos Yusuf Photographer

NEIGHBORHOOD O RG A NIZ ATI O N S

ElSarh Association Samar Abdel Hakeem Sohaila Abdelaziz

I N H A B ITA NT S

Karmouz

Noha Hosny, Saber Gaber Hend ElHaririe & others on interviwed during the field work

4 PUBLIC SECTOR

General organization for physical planning Mohamed Ossama Atta

5 LOCAL UNIVERSITIES

Faculty of Fine Arts Mohamed Gohary Heba El Hanafi Jihad Abu Sief Mohamed ElSaid Abbas David Ashraf

Al-Manufiah University Ahmed hazem

Faculty of Engineering Mohamed Ayman Kotb

FINANCERS

Tandem Shaml & Idea Camp

EN DA

Euro-Arab

Workshop El-Madina

for performing and digital arts

Wo rk sh op

W D Y I IE ER U ES ER UR E L R O E IN D E B IN G W SS EG F T O O TO T E H R N R E K T D OL O U D I W S F A R U IT L IN A C OR N T E T IN O G D D KS H B G PA T G Y O T UI ST OP P A U H D IC G R , T E Y E E B S E H N M T E A E T D G A H R A IN E P S HA O ’S A . & P T R T A O T T E H H R B O IC X T A E J O P IC S E V L E IP C E E S R A T IP M B T N IV A E S E T E E NT T N TO S S S HO . T T T D A A H H C E R OL K O O L T E O U D G GI P IC H E S T S A HE R E :

6 Fouad St, ElAtareen, Alexandria

april

4.00 pm

Wrap up & sharing visit impressions

5.00 pm

State of Cultural Mapping: Collected & Needed Materials

Definition of Mapping Zones in Karmouz/day Group work division by mapping zone & mission (field work groups, Popular stories/ Street art work/activities: markets, crafts, popular coffees, etc. /heritage/ vacant and public spaces, others- & Urban analysis and design group) 6.00 pm

SA TUR DAY

Conclusions

10.00 am

Participants meeting in Karmouz

10.30 am

Field Walk in Karmouz

12.30 pm

Lunch Break

1.30 pm

Field Walk in Karmouz and in parallel Preparation of Mapping supports at El-Madina

3.30 pm

Back to El-Madina placement

4.00 pm

Wrap up & sharing Collected Materials State of Cultural Mapping: Needed Materials?

6.30 pm

Conclusions and next day objectives

3.30 pm

Participants meeting at El-Madina Placement or at Karmouz upon groups

4.00 pm

Field Walk in Karmouz and in parallel Data treatment & urban analysis: Linking & identifying first potential culture walks (Work group at El-Madina)

7.00 pm

Back from field & Groups meeting at El-Madina Placement

7.00 pm

Wrap up & Sharing new collected materials

8.30 pm

Conclusions and next day objectives

3.30 pm

Participants meeting at El-Madina Placement or at Karmouz upon groups

4.00 pm

Field Walk in Karmouz and in parallel Data treatment & urban analysis: connecting potentials & urban narration (Working groups at El-Madina)

7.00 pm

Back from field & Groups meeting at El-Madina Placement

7.00 pm

Wrap up & Sharing new collected materials

8.30 pm

Conclusions and next day objectives

3.30 pm

Participants meeting at El-Madina Placement or at Karmouz upon groups

4.00 pm

Finalizing Field Walk in Karmouz (A part of Working Group) and in parallel Proceeding in Culture mapping: first Proposals for culture walks (Working groups at El-Madina)

7.00 pm

Back from field & Groups meeting at El-Madina Placement

7.00 pm

Sharing new collected materials

“Culture walks” is the first step in a strategy called SAWP (Spaces for arts, welfare and progress) supported by the Tandem Shaml program. This collaboration project between Europe and the Arab world works on exploring new venues in the Alexandrian neighborhood, Karmouz, to promote them as spaces for arts and culture.

FRI DAY

The aim is to support creative economies of culture, which can assist sustainable development and raise citizens’ awareness on how to use local resources for start-up social enterprises and for social image enhancement. During the in-situ participative workshop, participants will map cultural potentials (popular stories and physical spaces) in order to draw a neighborhood “open-up” strategy, and promote a new image of Karmouz by proposing “Culture walks” itineraries and reactivating public space.

3.30 pm 4.00

THU RS DAY

AG EN DA

Introduction and Welcoming

Participants Presentations

6 organizations x 6 min each (overview of the organization + small presentation of organization delegates)

42 min

El-Madina Urbego Heritage Volunteers Ministery of Urban Planning Karmouz Local organization : El-Sarh Karmouz Inhabitants Other participants

5.30

Animation with El-Madina Artists

6.00

Break

6.30 - 8.30

SUN DAY

Participants Arrival at El-Madina placement

Mohab Saber, El-Madina Farah Makki, Urbego 4.30 - 5.30

MON DAY

Workshop Case-studies Presentations 1-Overview of Karmouz Situation

60 min

7.30 pm

Getting to know Karmouz (10-15 min) Urban planning view Social Perception of the neighborhood (5 min) Assessment results What Locals say? (20 min in total) El Sarh & Inhabitants El-Madina Activities Heritage Situation in Alexandria and Karmouz (15 min) “Description of Alexandria” activity and Karmouz field work Questions & Answers Short Break (15 min) A better future for Karmouz?

10 min

2. Tandem Shaml Collaboration project and workshop Objectives? SAWP

26 TU ES

29 1 / CU LT U R A L M A PPI N G AIM & FIELD METHODOLOGIES

INTRODUCED BY FAR AH MAKKI

Cultural mapping involves a community identifying and documenting local cultural resources. Through this research cultural elements are recorded – the tangibles like galleries, craft industries, distinctive landmarks, local events, and industries, as well as the intangibles like memories, personal histories, attitudes, and values. After researching the elements that make a community unique, cultural mapping involves initiating a range of community activities or projects, to record, conserve and use these elements. The most fundamental goal of cultural mapping is to help communities recognize, celebrate, and support cultural diversity for economic, social and regional development.

2/ CU LT U R A L WAY FI N D I N G URBAN NARR ATIVES

INTRODUCED BY CARLA FELICETTI

Introduction to the role of wayfinding design in storytelling the city potentials and stories. Different sections: Adaptive design thinking – working with stakeholders to create an iterative process tailored to each place. Building strong narratives – experience at an understanding of a place’s story and history. Editorial & design expertise – experiencing the power of well-chosen words and iconographic figures. Environmental awareness – pinpoint place significance, promote and spread the place knowledge and stories through urban wayfinding features. Openness – deliver affordable solutions accessible for inhabitants and open to appropriation.

3/ PARTICIPATIVE URBAN DESIG N RE AC TIVATING VAC ANT SPACES

INTRODUCED BY FAR AH MAKKI (URBAN POCKET) & ALEX ANDROS ZOMAS, MAR A PA PAVA SILIOU ( A K A LY P TOS 2.0)

The Urban Pockets methodology has been launched by URBEGO with the aim of developing a co-creation strategy for reclaiming public spaces in different cities around the world. The first phase of the program saw URBEGO interacting with local partners and communities in different Balkan cities, with the first community pocket park implemented in Tirana in 2015. In the program, Urbego operates contemporary at different scales. At a local level, it engages local communities of residents, helping them to take control of the open spaces around/between the places where they live. At a global scale, it provides a platform for sharing and transferring knowledge and expertise, acting as an intermediary between small organizations and international funds, as well as providing visibility to local projects in international contexts such as conferences and exhibitions. The program is under replication in Athens through the Akalyptos 2.0 project. www.urbego.org/urban-pockets http://www.akalyptos-2.org

Workshop

* ‫ﻫﻞ اﻧﺖ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ اﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ ؟‬ ‫ﻣﺎﻫﻰ اول ﺻﻮرة ﺗﺄﺗﻰ ﻓﻰ ذﻫﻨﻚ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺗﻔﻜﺮ ﻓﻰ ﺣﻰ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز ؟ ﻋﺒﺮ ﻋﻦ ﻫﺬه‬ .‫اﻟﺼﻮرة ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ارﺑﻊ ﻛﻠﻤﺎت او ﺻﻔﺎت‬ .‫ﻣﺎﻫﻰ ﻣﻨﺎﻃﻖ اﳉﺬب اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺄﺗﻰ اﻟﻰ ذﻫﻨﻚ ﻓﻰ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز؟ اذﻛﺮ ارﺑﻊ اﻣﺎﻛﻦ‬ ‫ﻫﻞ ﺗﻌﺮف اى ﻗﺼﺺ ﺷﻌﺒﻴﺔ ﺗﻌﺒﺮ ﻋﻦ ﺷﻰء ﻣﻬﻢ ﻓﻰ ﺣﻰ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز ؟ اذا ﻛﺎﻧﺖ‬ .‫ ﻧﺮﺟﻮ ان ﺗﺸﺎرﻛﻬﺎ ﻣﻌﻨﺎ‬،‫اﺟﺎﺑﺘﻚ ﺑﻨﻌﻢ‬ ‫ اﻓﻼم وﺛﺎﺋﻘﻴﺔ او ﻛﺘﺐ ﻋﻦ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز؟‬،‫ﻫﻞ ﲢﺐ ان ﺗﻀﻴﻒ اى ﻣﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‬

PROCESS

Are you from Alexandria? What is the first image that comes to mind when you think of Karmouz, Alexandria? Please, express it through four keywords or adjectives. What four attractive places or activities come to mind first? Do you know any popular stories that express something important about Karmouz? if yes, we would be glad to read you. Do you want to share any informations, documentary or books regarding Karmouz?

PRE-RESEARCH,

CONNECTING

BUILDING TRUST &

S TA K E H O LD E R S ,

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

WORKING GROUPS & INTRODUCTION TO SOME TOOLS

TIMELINE - APRIL 2016

CLOSED

WORKSHOP

GROUP SITE

MEETING

LAUNCH

VISIT

between Urbego and ElMadina professionals

Workshop objectives, Actors, and supporters

guided walk with the local neighborhood association

Site visit to Karmouz : familiarization with local conditions and inhabitants

Overview of different stakeholders expertise

initiation to the local issues and exploration of weak points and potentials

Presentation of pre-research on Karmouz

WORK

working groups selection mixing foreign and locals , with men presence to facilitate the field Selection and Distribution of Focus Topics:

Initiation of behavior recommendations

Initiation to cultural Mapping and urban Analysis toolkit

DAY 1

GROUP FIELD

Mobility/ In-between spaces / Signs/ Artifacts, Markets and cultural spaces / History of the place/stories

Brainstorming and impressions sharing

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

EMPIRICAL

COMPREHENSIVE

APPROACH

APPROACH, A

THROUGH

PA RTI C I PATO RY &

FIELDWORK &

USER-ORIENTED

CO LL A B O R ATI V E

DESIGN PROCESS

MAPPING

GROUP FIELD WORK

Interviews, Sketches, data collection, physical & qualitative assessment Research at the Alexandria Library about the Karmouz history and Heritage Collective Sharing of observations and findings

GROUP

EL ABOR ATE

FIELD WORK

& VIZUALIZE

AND FIRST

POTENTIALS

A N A LYS I S O F

Gathering groups for the proposal elaboration concerning:

THE STATE OF ART

presentation of first analysis : issues and potentials

Stories & Heritage narration

COLL ABOR ATIVE

MAPPING

Mobility & In-between space

Pinning the findings on a collective map

Local resources & wayfinding tools

connecting the resources

FOR

Giving visibility

DAY 5

DAY 6

Walkable experience improvement: which paths are the most appropriate to connect local resources and secure pedestrians environment? How to make the walkable experience more pleasant for both women and men, adults and children? Which activation scenarios for public, common and vacant spaces? What type of Cultural signage

DAY 7

would reveal local identity? How to materialize stories & history within the urban scape? How to explore new art and cultural venues during week and weekend time, by day or by night? What temporality to be given?

EL ABOR ATE AND SHARE

presentations of the proposals: How culture and human potentials can become a tool to empower the local community and a way for visitors to discover the character of the place through “Culture walks” itineraries?

DAY 8

‫‪v‬‬

‫‪S‬‬ ‫‪T‬‬ ‫‪N‬‬ ‫‪E‬‬ ‫‪M‬‬ ‫‪S‬‬ ‫‪S‬‬ ‫‪E‬‬ ‫‪S‬‬ ‫‪S‬‬ ‫‪A‬‬ ‫‪E‬‬ ‫‪IN‬‬

‫‪N‬‬

‫‪/O‬‬

‫‪F‬‬

‫‪What is the first image that comes to mind when you‬‬ ‫‪think of Karmouz, Alexandria? Please, express it through‬‬ ‫‪four keywords or adjectives.‬‬

‫‪-L‬‬

‫?‪Are you from Alexandria‬‬

‫ﻫﻞ اﻧﺖ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ اﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ ؟ * ‬ ‫‪ ‬‬ ‫ﻣﺎﻫﻰ اول ﺻﻮرة ﺗﺄﺗﻰ ﻓﻰ ذﻫﻨﻚ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺗﻔﻜﺮ ﻓﻰ ﺣﻰ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز ؟ ﻋﺒﺮ ﻋﻦ ﻫﺬه‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻮرة ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ارﺑﻊ ﻛﻠﻤﺎت او ﺻﻔﺎت‪ .‬‬ ‫‪ ‬‬ ‫ﻣﺎﻫﻰ ﻣﻨﺎﻃﻖ اﳉﺬب اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺄﺗﻰ اﻟﻰ ذﻫﻨﻚ ﻓﻰ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز؟ اذﻛﺮ ارﺑﻊ اﻣﺎﻛﻦ‪ .‬‬ ‫‪ ‬‬ ‫ﻫﻞ ﺗﻌﺮف اى ﻗﺼﺺ ﺷﻌﺒﻴﺔ ﺗﻌﺒﺮ ﻋﻦ ﺷﻰء ﻣﻬﻢ ﻓﻰ ﺣﻰ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز ؟ اذا ﻛﺎﻧﺖ‬ ‫اﺟﺎﺑﺘﻚ ﺑﻨﻌﻢ‪ ،‬ﻧﺮﺟﻮ ان ﺗﺸﺎرﻛﻬﺎ ﻣﻌﻨﺎ‪ .‬‬ ‫‪ ‬‬ ‫ﻫﻞ ﲢﺐ ان ﺗﻀﻴﻒ اى ﻣﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‪ ،‬اﻓﻼم وﺛﺎﺋﻘﻴﺔ او ﻛﺘﺐ ﻋﻦ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز؟‪ ‬‬

‫‪O‬‬

‫ﻫﻞ ﺗﻌﺮف اى ﻗﺼﺺ ﺷﻌﺒﻴﺔ ﺗﻌﺒﺮ ﻋﻦ ﺷﻰء ﻣﻬﻢ ﻓﻰ ﺣﻰ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز ؟ اذا ﻛﺎﻧﺖ اﺟﺎﺑﺘﻚ ﺑﻨﻌﻢ‪ ،‬ﻧﺮﺟﻮ ان ﺗﺸﺎرﻛﻬﺎ ﻣﻌﻨﺎ‪ .‬‬

‫ﻣﺎﻫﻰ ﻣﻨﺎﻃﻖ اﳉﺬب اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺄﺗﻰ اﻟﻰ ذﻫﻨﻚ ﻓﻰ ﻛﺮﻣﻮز؟ اذﻛﺮ ارﺑﻊ اﻣﺎﻛﻦ‪ .‬‬

‫‪Pr‬‬

‫‪Do you want to share any informations, documentary or‬‬ ‫?‪books regarding Karmouz‬‬

‫‪e-F‬‬

‫‪Do you know any popular stories that express something‬‬ ‫‪important about Karmouz? if yes, we would be glad to‬‬ ‫‪read you.‬‬

‫‪iel‬‬ ‫‪d‬‬

‫‪What four attractive places or activities come to mind‬‬ ‫?‪first‬‬

Before getting to the field, Urbego was supported with ElMadina to mobilize a series of local actors (neighborhood organization, heritage volunteers) to collect some materials and get a better understanding of Karmouz context. The requested elements included: 1/ Quantitative data regarding the neighborhood ( area, limits, population, social profile, activities, attractions, transport connexion, surroundings etc.) 2/Cartography (paper and digital): the neighborhood maps were needed in order to understand the urban structure evolution, the existing morphology, to locate a point of interests, understand the actual hierarchy of streets, identify the street-scapes ( are there any pedestrian facilities or areas?). Also, any recent dwg map or other format are needed as a base for the workshop production. 3/ Visual materials (photos and videos or documentaries) were needed in order to have a good comprehension of the Karmouz Area (ambiances, architectural typology, urban space organization, vacant space identification, people use and practice of public space, appropriation of the streets, or any cultural manifestation (street art, music, formal or informal installations or any other type of arts). 4/ Previous student projects or studies that have been done in the area. In parallel, a Google online assessment was launched to collect information regarding social perception and knowledge of Karmouz. The questions were short and were related to first impressions, potentials, attractive places and popular stories. The following questions were shared: 1/ What is the first image that comes to mind when you think of Karmouz, Alexandria? Please, express it through four keywords or adjectives. 2/ What four attractive places or activities come to mind first? 3/ Do you know any popular stories that express something important about Karmouz? if yes, we would be glad to read you. 4/ Do you want to share any information, documentary

or books regarding Karmouz? Results: Few materials were collected. Only 22 persons answered the questionnaires that were disseminated through social medias and private maills: 2 persons in English and 20 in Arabic. All the data collected were used to elaborate semantic clouds in order to check the must redundant answers among the participants. The image of Karmouz was often related to bad reputation, violence, and drug dealing. Few people from Alexandria visited the district and knew popular stories about it. The most familiar sites were the heritage ones (Pompeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pillar, the catacombs), in addition to the tramway. Pitfalls: 1/ The data collection is quite difficult when we are outside Egypt or not connected to neighborhood organizations. Few data are available in institutional level, rarely digitalized and many information are hardly accessible. Indeed many maps were given by private local organizations. And various mapping material was collected during the workshop period. 2/ Online assessment wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t efficient for the limited accessibility to mobile digital technologies. In the context of Karmouz, door to door and in-situ approaches are recommended and needs the mediation of local neighborhood organizations to gain trusts and collect relevant materials.

Fie ld

ec o

it i

Getting more aware of the crucial role of the field work to collect the materials, it was essential to ensure an open dialog with Karmouz inhabitants. To create the best conditions for the field work, it was important to take into account some specificities of the context in order to avoid misunderstandings and anticipate some tensions. The first step consisted thus in sharing and respecting some rules of communication and behaving prevailing in Karmouz culture, that happen to be familiar to many Egyptians. Usually, the obvious way we communicate is by using words. Linguistic knowledge of Arabic is essential to take account of cultural considerations, address some topics with local people and seek assistance when needed. This aspect was certainly taken into consideration, working groups were mixed, composed of Egyptian from the neighborhood or not and some foreign participants. This allowed ensuring a minimum communication skill to resolve some issues in case something occurs and also a linguistic skill that was essential to do interviews with inhabitants and accomplish a significant amount of the qualitative assessment. When we dialog with others, we also use

non-verbal communication: our tone of voice, gestures, and facial expressions influence our communication language and the way others perceive our message and approach. Therefore it was important that the participants be aware of non-verbal communication aspects that might be provocative in some contexts. They also had to be aware of what might seem insulting but is actually only a cultural way of communication in that given situation. Participants made an effort to follow them, which guaranteed a pleasant discovery of an efficient field work in the neighborhood. Following these behavioral recommendations helped on improving the communication within inhabitants. A condition for building trust and collecting extensive information regarding their daily life conditions. What is to recognize from this experience is that the conflict is best resolved when both inhabitants, visitors, and professionals are willing to compromise and find a win-win situation. These scenes illustrate situations that each visitor to Karmouz might face. Taking cultural considerations into account and developing a communication sensibility help in building trust within the neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inhabitants that usually fear strangers that are often associated with political surveillance. Some of these aspects have been delivered before starting the field work, some others were announced upon the experience that some groups experienced in the field and reported during the collective meetings. One of these aspects was the importance for girls to be accompanied by men in order to ensure a better working condition in a masculinized public space. These scenarios are revealed here as a base to support further field-works and aware the reader about some common misunderstandings.

‫تذكر أنك زائر وهذا الحي له‬ .‫قواعده التى يجب إحترامها‬

‫معاني و قواعد التصرف‬

Meaning and ways of behavings

‫عليك ان تقدر كرم ضيافة أهل الحي‬ ‫فاألبارايق الفخارية المصطفة عىل طول‬ ‫الطريق يستخدمها المارة في شرب الماء‬

Appreciate hospitality.

The pottery jars along the street

are not for sale. They serve water

Remember, you are a visitor. An intimate neighborhood has codes to respect

١ .‫األماكن العامة هي امتداد للمنازل‬ ً ‫فالناس يتطلعون اليك فضو‬ ‫ال أو‬ ‫إلزالة حاجز الرهبة ولذلك ال تأخذ هذا‬ ‫عىل محمل شخصي‬

The public space is an extension of the home. People stare at you by curiosity or to protect you from any inconvenience. So, don't take it personally!

٤ ‫قم باالستئذان قبل‬ ‫التقاط الصور‬ Ask for permission

before taking any photos

٥ ‫قم بتقدير الفنون‬ ‫ تجول بنظرك عىل‬.‫الشائعة في الحي‬ ‫طول الطرقات المؤدية لباب الملوك‬ ‫حيث األعمال الفنية المختلفة في‬ ‫الفضاء العام وعىل الجدران‬

ُ ‫ال ُتظهر تشكك في نظافة الطعام‬ ‫المقدم‬ ‫اليك حيث أن هذا قد يُ ثير من حفيظة أهل‬ ‫ وهو ما يجب عليك إحترامه‬.‫الحي‬ Don’t be suspicious of the food

Appreciate spontaneity of arts.

hygiene. That might be offensive

Look on the lateral pedestrian streets

for the inhabitants. Be respectful.

along Bâb al-Mulûk pathways.

Different artistic works are exposed in public space and on the walls

٨ ٦

‫استخدم كلمات التقدير لإلشارة ألماكن الحي‬ ‫ ولذلك عند الحديث عن المقاهي‬،‫المختلفة‬ ‫المنتشرة في شارع "باب سدرة" استخدم لفظ‬ ‫"مقاهي الفنانين" وليس مقاهي العوالم‬

ً ‫مفيدا‬ ‫السير في رفقة إسكندراني قد يكون‬ ‫في استيعاب الثقافة المحلية‬

‫معاني و قواعد التصرف‬

Meaning and ways of behavings

Use appreciative words to define places.

To be accompanied with an

Example when you talk about the coffees

Alexandrian might be helpful to

of Bâb Sidra street, use “Maqâhî al-

inform you about the local culture

fannânîn” (the artists' cafes) instead of the

pejorative word “al-‘awâlem” (the dancers).

٩ ‫يجب أن تكن اإلحترام وخاصة في بعض المواقف‬ ‫والتي تتعلق بالعمال وأصحاب الحرف حيث أنهم‬ ‫يعملون بجد لكسب قوت يومهم‬

‫ال ُتظهر تضرر من صراخ الباعة الجائلين فهم‬ ‫حريصون عىل بيع بضائعهم ولهذا يتبارون في‬ ‫رفع أصواتهم لجذب اهتمام الزبائن‬

Don’t be offended by the traders’ screams. They are enthusiastic about selling their goods. Raising voice is a matter of catching passers-by attention

‫حافظ عىل هدوءك في حالة نشوب أي‬ ‫ إختر الكلمات المناسبة‬.‫نزاع أو مشادة‬ ‫ال ترفع من صوتك وال تتردد في طلب‬، ‫المساعدة إذا لزم األمر‬

Stay calm if any conflict occurs. Choose the right words, do not raise your voice and ask for assistance if needed

Be respectful in some vulnerable situations; ambulant workers in the street are decent people seeking for their living

١٠

‫النساء ُمرحب بهم كزائرات للحي ولكن‬ ‫إرتداء الزي المناسب والمشي في‬ ‫مجموعات قد يضمن تنزه أمن مع‬ ‫اإلستمتاع بفنجان من القهوة أو كوب من‬ ‫الشاي المصري في شرفة أحد البنايات‬

Women are welcome in the public space. Having the appropriate outfit, or being accompanied by a male or in groups may ensure a better walk with a coffee or Egyptian tea on a terrace

23 22

Fo cu s& pr oc ess

ha q d E lo a el th ays old nd, uali av flow fiv ma ca go and gyp wo the In o res an w The em ey o p a t y ai l i e o s n ti rk 2 r e i a w e n h a n t h e r s g r o a n l a b l f o l l g r o t o . a n d o b e i n a n i n g 5 p d e r a rc h n t e s p o r ts d e on u d e v ow up pic d a ng g s a gr ar to a ns lan ks w to fie s f p o leg ac in s s w s oin mu nd ou tic o nd ive ne ho er sh ld ro f ib a g an e ec g lti n p ip pti d p d p e ar w m ar ili nt va al re u o n ot s m an m at e as r re e a t tis ty lo rio yz t re f t ati E t po th lki he ts o ts u e re d he o g ixi s w ize a co iod r t ei ng ne an f th , (3 s c d a ate wo fi na yp ng er the lle of ed r fi , o ig d e ) ri n d rk el l w tia e e c an nd bs hb m vis ac teri d m div co d w er ns. xpe div field tion d ing er v or em ua tiv a : ap id nd or e t T r t ide w . sp s in ho b l iti (1 p ed iti k w he s a d or ati an g od er en es ) m ed in on , a o m nd in k, a l d , co t s o v i r w o t h t o f n e co n u l g t o ly pi ll o f on it b e t or ffi d tid e s lo np ec co a l m h a ilit ph w w ci iti is nd ix ca o ti lle oc e f y, y o o en on ci er te int ng ct al nt, oc (2 sic ma me t s pli s, d th an p so (5 us ) p al in n int to na on e d op c ) o r a e f a er e r i th m o ex ula ial d her n c cti nvi ocu nd acti nsu ty e n ch r e ita ra ce ro se fo o re m a an st ve g ft o nm s: re n a p b g o r l o e s , f i e o ig w , t i g i n g i e s p m a n m a n - nt n n e i t h h e co w a e d r k b e a o n r s gr llab ith nd nt urb et tw ctiv e h . Six ou o i le or an s a ee iti an ps rati nh ge ga h nd n es d, w ve abi nds niz isto ar spa an er m ta . ati r t ce d e a nt P o y). sp s ga p. s ar n O ac a th O an tic int n es nd e r n c d ip e r t h , ( ed e ve an vi e 4) to t h e n d t s e w s e c s t di o r s sp e e d o n ar ffe . E n se d H t t re a t s ve O h e n c h ev r a W co t as aft era l - d p e er l e s c t no ig s a o n n n ph d as e. 1

Walk Observe

MOBILITY & WALK ABLE EXPERIENCE PRACTICE OF PUBLIC AND IN-BETWEEN SPACES

Talk Collect

VISUAL ENVIRONMENT

CRAFTS & ART SPACES

Share your findings

NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES

HERITAG E & URBAN HISTORY

Map together

Co-Design

din

Fi n W

STORIES 12 STORIES WERE COLLECTED, RECORDED AND CLASSIFIED

ACTIVITIES

SEVERAL DISTINCTIVE MARKETS WERE IDENTIFIED ALONG BAB SIDRA BLOCKS NEVERTHELESS THEY AREN’T HIGHLIGHTED DUE TO CONFUSING “CLOCK MARKE T ” THAT OCCUPY T WO MAIN A XES SIX DAYS PER WEEK FROM 10 AM TO 9 PM.

POTENTIAL SPACES FOR ART

4 TEMPOR ARY VACANT L ANDS WERE IDENTIFIED

ONE FACTORY BUILDING IS UNOCCUPIED, BUT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO AC TIVATE FOR POLITICAL ISSUES 4 POTENTIAL COFFEE SPACES, TWO HISTORICAL ONES CAN RECEIVE POTENTIAL INDOOR EVENTS T WO AVAIL ABLE SPACES IN FRONT OF MOSQUES CAN RECEIVE OCCASIONAL E VENTS REL ATED TO RELIGIOUS FES TIVAL S DURING LOW FLOW HOURS(SUNDAYS AND EVENINGS AFTER THE CLOCK MARKET CLOSES)

CRAFTS SPACES

VARIOUS T YPOLOGIES OF TR ADITIONAL CRAFTS COMBINING FORMAL ( SHOPS AND MARKETS) AND INFORMAL PRACTICES (S TREE T E XHIBITIONS , ON ELE VATIONS , ETC.)

VISUAL ENVIRONMENT CHAOTIC SIGNS AND L ACK OF WAYFINDING DISPOSITIONS TO REVEAL AUTHENTIC SITES.

THE CLOCK MARKET LIMITS THE LEGIBILITY OF THE PATHS LE ADING TO AUTHENTIC MARKETS AND DISTURB THE PERSPECTIVE TOWARDS HERITAGE SPACES .

PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY

THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY IS LIMITED BY THE CONFUSING TRAFFIC AND THE TOTAL OCCUPATION OF SIDE WALKS BY MERCHANDISE OR BY THE DEC AYING INFRASTRUCTURE.

(FIG 2) WALKABILITY MACRO ANALYSIS

Bab Sidra has a Walk Score of 95 out of 100. This location is a Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paradise so daily errands do not require a car. The score was based on analyzing hundreds of walking routes to nearby amenities.

ili

Th ax is fi (F es gu IG l i n of r e r 1) m e es o p A XI ) a ve re AL nd m se n e LI ot n t s N he t n th ES rs oti e M ( b ce a cc AC lu a e e s RO co hig si b h il lo AN r s ten i t y ) a o an AL re r o d YS m f a sh IS o r c ow e ce s se ss h g r i b ow e g ili t s at y o m e d (r e e . d

A number of tools for measuring the quality of the walking environment have emerged in the past years. These walking audit instruments are generally used to measure physical features related to walkability, such as building setback, street complexity, block length, and sidewalk width. In the case of Karmouz, it was relevant to apply some of these tools in order to measure the quality of the walking environment and evaluate the feasibility of suggesting cultural pedestrian itineraries within the actual context before doing any urban design improvement. Several questions were raised to check to what extent the study area is walkable. Macro and Microanalysis tools (Fig 1,2,3) were used to verify the walkability of different segments of the Karmouz area answering the following questions: • Where are the most crowded points based on the numbers of people and vehicles passing by per a certain unit of time? • Where are the pedestrian oriented and vehicle oriented segments? • Where are the points of conflict and how are the dynamics of flows? • Are there any axes of mobility that hold urban and visual potentials that can be activated to suggest pedestrian-friendly pathways as an alternative to overcrowded axes? • How the Karmouz inhabitants perceive their environment? Is it safe, comfortable, secure, interesting? On most street segments of Karmouz (Bab Sidra, Karmouz street), the distance between points of interests is easily walkable (<500m); sidewalks are wide varying between 3 to 6 meters. The waste occupation and the decaying state are punctual and don’t represent the principal reason for the pedestrian use limitation. In some points, they reduce the site heritage attractiveness like at the entrance of the Pompey’s Pillar site . Most obstacles are induced, on one hand, by the total occupation of sidewalks by non-pedestrian practices and on the other hand the high conflict nodes and axes between interfering flows of pedestrian, vehicles, commercial activities and tramlines. Conflict between vendors, spontaneous activities & mobility 1- Karmouz Street

For example, along Karmouz street (a two ways street), there is a high congestion during week and Saturday time between 10 am and 9 pm. Many of Karmouz men congregate on the sidewalks, sitting in folding chairs or standing beside their merchandises or along walls and kiosks to share news, drink tea and gossip. While some of these men seek social interaction outside, others extend their shops or informal businesses to create an eye-catch towards their products and attract potential customers. This occupation has led to a conflict with the pedestrian who hardly can use sidewalks. Walkers often step on the car and tram’s paths to move around the neighborhood. The tramway is an issue for vendors, who want it to be removed in order to expand their merchandise on the whole street. Most of them vote for a strict pedestrian street. The kiosks vendors who are aligned along the cemetery’s wall share this opinion. Their “kiosks”, built by the government after the revolution, aren’t big enough to expose their merchandise. They step on the street to gain more space. Actually, the government, as the inhabitants told us, was supposed to build some « kiosks » to attract the tourists and encourage economic development in Karmouz. Nevertheless, these small installations aren’t affordable for many inhabitants (6400 pounds = approximately 660 euros). One of these workers told us : « if I had 6400 pounds I wouldn’t end up selling on the street » . Further, he added « Inside the souk, there are people (gangs) taking more than one kiosk » and the rent per kiosk is 300 pound which I can’t afford”. The economic inaccessibility to these permanent shops led to the development of temporary commercial activities. Ambulant workers define their commercial space on the circulation pathways, which limit the tram and vehicle circulation and increase congestion. Temporary activities & adaptability of public space Seeking for an alternative to gain an income, some ambulant vendors reclaim the ownership of the public space and display their goods on the tram tracks. This semi-permanent trade represents a movable way of living solution for the people who couldn’t afford a fixed area to work (a kiosk or a shop). Some observations illustrate how it is possible to make food and sell it by using a simple wheel car with a grill and a small stove to cook. The vendor walks with his wheel around the market to serve everyone, while others just use a wall and put a table with a sink to obtain a tiny coffee shop or a food station. Others put their sewing machine with a chair in front of their house entrance and deliver cheap services.

(FIG 3) Vehicle and Pedestrian oriented analysis

ed nt rie -o sis cle ly hi ana Ve

tien or n- sis ia ly str na de d a Pe e

THI S QUA NTITATI V E A SS E SS MENT O F FLOW DY N A MI C H A S B EEN MADE UPON IN-SITU COUNTING DURING 10 MINUTES TIME FOR E ACH S TREE T S EG MENT. SHERIF STREET BUS: 56 / C ARS: 43 / TR AMWAY: 3 / PEOPLE: 65 / OTHERS (TUK TUK) : 3

AB A one way street with railways made of two materials, asphalt and basalt. The sidewalks are pedestrian oriented: on one side they are occupied by the shops while the other side is decadent. There is no parking space neither. KARMOUZ STREET BUS: 6 / C ARS: 13 / TR AMWAY: 1 / PEOPLE: 10 0 / OTHERS (TUK TUK & MOTORCYCLES): 15

This is a two ways street. Very crowded and congested by the conflict between different flows and commercial extension of shops and the market. Actually, sidewalks are totally occupied on both sides by kiosks or temporary commercial stands. The street is in asphalt and basalt with railways. CLOCK STREET ON SUNDAYS

BUS: 0 / C ARS: 0 / TR AMWAY: 0 / PEOPLE: 150 / OTHERS: 0

A pedestrian-oriented streets where sidewalks are or for pedestrian or for the coffee terraces. the street materials combine asphalt and basalt. During week days, this street is very crowded due to the clock market displayed. ABOU MANDOUR STREET B U S : 0/ C A R S : 6 3 / T R A M WAY: 0 / P EO P L E : 217/ OT H E R S ( T U K T U K &

MOTORCYCLES): 34

A two ways street in asphalt and without railways. It is a residential street animated with some grocery shops, small coffee shops, and some craft places. The street showcases some new constructions of 15-30 m high. BAB SIDRA STREET

BUS :0

/ C ARS :- / TR AMWAY :0 / PEOPLE :50 / OTHERS : -

Vehicle and pedestrian Street. The street is in Asphalt. The sidewalks are occupied with the stock of the wood shops. There are trees on both sides. nevertheless permanent open air wood stock blocks pedestrian paths. Different temporary installations can be found in the streets related to marriage ceremonies or Ramadan celebrations where decoration is made by local crafts.

ess We ak n Lost Youth

Elderly precar

Conflict between Tran paths & commerce expansion

S Decaying urban environment

Precarious work

2- Bâb Sidra Street Along the street of Bâb Sidra, the sidewalks are wide with trees on both sides. Nevertheless, most of the sidewalks are a permanent open-air wood stock that blocks pedestrian paths. The wood stock generates an authentic atmosphere that is very characteristic of a local craft identity of the neighborhood. The building doesn’t overpass 6 stores and deliver a human scale perception. This human and local authenticity is emphasized with the several handmade installations that can be found in the streets related to marriage ceremonies or the decoration of Ramadan celebration.

rity Degradation

nsport

Street battles

Illegal and unsecured buildings

3- Abu Mandour Street Along the street of Abu Mandour, most of the residents don’t complain of the flows interference and are satisfied with the proximity of services and the street social life. Although they are used to move in a chaotic environment, they seek for improvement. For them, the Souk create a circulation problem for both vehicles and the tramway. Most of them judge that it would be useful to remove these ambulant vendors from the street or to limit their deployment to the sidewalks. The tramway has a cultural importance and is considered as one of the oldest elements that distinguish Karmouz from other parts of Alexandria. Contrary to the vendors, they believe that the tram should stay. It makes part of Karmouz identity.

The Walkable experience: The different observations made showcase how individual physical features may not tell us much about the experience of walking down a particular street. The overall people’s perception of the street environment

Waste

ng ht

Clock-M Historical Coffee places

Informal crafts

Kiosks

Heritage sites

Fer-forgĂŠ

Women handcra Authenticity & Hospitality

Market

afts

Hand Madev Textiles

depends on the articulation between several aspects. The analysis of the walkable experience in Karmouz shows that the walking experience is related to physical features (Sidewalk width and state, traffic volumes and types, Tree Canopy, Street Width), Urban design qualities ( Imageability, Complexity, Coherence, Linkage, Human scale) and Individual reactions (Sense of Safety, Comfort, Social Life). Perceptual or urban design qualities are linked to walking behavior, and physical features influence the quality of the walking environment both directly and indirectly through the perceptions and sensitivities of individuals. Before suggesting Culture walks itineraries in Karmouz, it was, therefore, essential to assess the urban qualities of Karmouz and evaluate to what extent the context can receive a pedestrian friendly walks with a focus on its cultural features.

Culture Walksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; preconditions Urban Qualities in Karmouz?

Wood Market

Urban design qualities are different from such qualities as the sense of comfort, sense of safety, and level of interest that reflect how individuals react to a place. In the walkability and perceptual qualities of the urban environment literature, eight elements are identified as criteria for urban design quality : 1. Imageability 2. Enclosure 3.

Human scale

4. Transparency

Youth

Complexity

Energy

7. Legibility

6. Coherence

8. Linkage

Im ag

bil i

Karmouz urban environment has been analyzed according to these elements in order to identify weak and strength points that would favor or not the implementation of the “Cultural walks” in the neighborhood.

In his classic The Image of the City (1960), Kevin Lynch states that imageability is the quality of a place that makes it distinct, recognizable, and memorable. A place obtains high imageability when some physical elements and their articulation capture attention, provoke feelings and create an impression or a souvenir. Landmarks are a component of imageability. Nevertheless, visual landmarks do not only refer to a monumental structure like the Pompey’s Pillar site and the Catacombs in Karmouz. For Lynch, what is essential is the singularity and the location, in relationship to the context and the city. The wood stocks, the fer forgé exhibitions and the handmade fabrics produced in the narrow street of Karmouz can be considered as landmarks; they characterize different atmospheres in the neighborhood. While heritage sites act as visual termination points, the different markets life scenes act as articulation and orientation points in the urban setting. Overall life scenes bring complexity to the urban features and provide a visual structure to the neighborhood connecting various ambiances that allow different parts of the district to stand out of anonymity. These tangible cultural features of Karmouz including heritage sites and crafts markets are characteristic visual themes, which contribute to the constitution of an imageability. When it is visible, it will inspire people to enter and walk in the space. The challenge in Karmouz is to increase the visibility of these visual characteristics to support the creation of a sense of place. Imageability is also influenced by many other urban design qualities such as enclosure, human scale, transparency, complexity, coherence, legibility, and linkage. It is in some way the overall effect of these qualities. As urban experts, we focused on the strength of Karmouz positive features to discuss the possible creation of a sense of place. This reflection led us to identify the potential contributors to Karmouz imageability: landmarks, striking views, authentic activities, smells, textures, an unusual topography of arts, signage, etc.

Enclosure Enclosure refers to the degree to which buildings, walls, trees, and other vertical elements visually define streets and other public spaces. Most of

Karmouz streets don’t have setbacks; they are aligned with height vertical elements most of time proportionally related to the width of the space. In most of the segments, we have the feeling of here-ness, of a sense of position thanks to some visual termination points. The Pompey’s Pillar, for example, closes the Bab Sidra vista. It constitutes a focal point that delivers a direction, a landmark and put the walker in touch with a historic element of Karmouz. Concerning dead spaces, few were identified in Karmouz neighborhood. Three vacant lots have been indicated along about Arakil bek Street, El Nasriya and the pedestrian alleys between Abu Mandour street and Bâb al-Mulûk. These outdoor spaces are well defined and have the shape of an outdoor room. Some of them are well used with outdoor crafts exhibitions, or occasionally for ceremonies while others are under-used being a parking lot or a stock area. These voids benefit from an eye catch position and can define strategic places within the cultural walks. They can constitute powerful articulation points that can expose characteristic features and skills of the neighborhood, transforming them into community hubs. Generally, human activity is constantly present in Karmouz public spaces, which aren’t intended as open and unoccupied areas. Rather, they refer to an area where everyone has the right to

use according to own desire and needs within limits of respect for social norm. Therefore, the appropriation of the physical environment with chairs, ambulant goods, games or ceremonies are a proper use of public space. Who is also familiar with Karmouz would note how busiest streets by day would turn into a big void at night or on Sundays. Inhabitants have the ability to reinvent the uses of public space during these off-peak hours. Empty spaces turn into playgrounds, commercial or even private terraces extending domestic interiors. These practices of spontaneous commerce activities can be replicated, and strategically connected to some artistic and cultural events. Similar actions would also encourage a qualitative placemaking and support the promotion of a local and authentic character.

WEEK DAYS

SUNDAY &

BY DAY

AT N I G HT

le Sc a ma n Hu

Most Karmouz streets represent moderate-sized buildings, narrow streets, and small spaces that create an intimate environment. Only “Karmouz Street” contains some large buildings, wide streets, and open spaces. Nevertheless the overwhelming human activity and some architectural detailing help to mitigate the street width and some large scale buildings: while the lower floors are aligned to the street and receive commercial activities, some upper floors step back before they ascend participating thus to a human scale definition to the street. The human scale also refers to a size, texture, and an articulation of physical elements that match the size and proportions of humans and correspond to human speed. Many of Karmouz street are one-way streets and don’t favor rapid speed of vehicles. The speed is also limited to wider sections of the “Karmouz street” due to the interference of mobility and commercial activities. Nevertheless, the lack of signs and the confused practices of public space, overwhelm the senses of pedestrians and create disorientation.

ar en c

Jan Gehl (2010) demonstrates how distance plays a determinative role in personal interaction and hence designing for the human scale. At 300 to 500 meters, humans can identify other people as humans, instead of objects. From 100 to 25 meters, individual characteristic and body language can be observed. After 25 meters, people enter a “social” field of vision where “richness of detail and communication intensify dramatically meter by meter”. These distances set the limits of human scale for social interaction and, by extension, how space is designed. Most of Karmouz distances vary between these intervals, which provide a very human experience, and a continuous social field of vision due to the regular interaction with streets activities and users favored by the urban transparency.

Transparency refers to the degree to which people can perceive human activity beyond the edge of a street or other public space. Physical elements that influence transparency include walls, fences, openings (windows and doors), landscaping, etc. Usually, blank walls and reflective glass buildings are examples of

design elements that destroy transparency, while a shopping street with large windows, inviting passersby to look in, is an example of transparency. Public space and ground floors benefit from a very local circle of life and activities in Karmouz. Inhabitants are used to domesticating the public streets, squares, and sidewalks. They practice it as an extension of their home, doing their life activities: working, socializing, playing, and spending time in coffee shops. Generally, transparency is most important at the street level because that is where the highest interaction occurs between indoors and outdoors. The ultimate in transparency is when internal activities are externalized to the sidewalk: outdoor drinking or dining and outdoor merchandising are examples. Although the multiplication of outdoors activities increases transparency in Karmouz, it also induces promiscuity, which demands a respect of the neighborhood intimacy to avoid conflicts. People in Karmouz observe the streets very intensely for curiosity, surveillance, and securing their living environment. During our fieldwork, this people-watching took care of us as well as it controlled our respect of costumes. Cups of coffees and teas, chairs and many stories were proposed to us while we’ve been walking through the district. Some made often this reflection: “Hey, I remember you, you didn’t take a picture of me, do it now!” and then start to exchange answering questions. This opening was a sign of trust. This transparency and proximity facilitated the social interaction with locals but also engaged our respect for some behaving rules to avoid the violation of their intimacy. One of the negative consequences of this transparency is that generally, in Alexandria, public spaces are male dominated. Women’s presence is limited to market areas. This is one of the reasons why women from outside of the district perceive Karmouz as a masculine space and an unsafe area to walk in. From our experience, women can make use of public space and stay on coffee terraces without being disturbed. It is preferable to be accompanied by men for a more comfortable practice. An additional observation is that although this proximity and the actual social field vision, tourists, or visitors very rarely mix with the local population. They are often accompanied with buses towards the entrance of archeological sites without entering and delivering any economic benefits to the neighborhood. This is mostly due to the inefficient touristic policy and the actual unwelcoming urban environment. A visitor wouldn’t feel comfortable to discover the area on foot on his own without any efficient signs making authentic and attractive destinations legible. In Karmouz, there is a big sense of disorientation caused by the confusion of the “Clock market”, the diagonal shapes of tiny streets and the lack of information and orientation devices. The sense of the history of the place is generally lacking: a work has to be done in this direction in order to provide a better visibility for characteristic places, bring coherence to the Karmouz complexity.

he re

e Coherence refers to a sense of visual order. The degree of coherence is influenced by complementarity in the scale, character, and arrangement of buildings, landscaping, street furniture, paving materials, and other physical elements. At the first glance, Karmouz represents a high complex urban fabric but with low coherence for the irregularity of its physical features. Visual preference surveys show that viewers do not appreciate massive doses of unstructured information.

ty gib ili

Complexity in Karmouz doesn’t rely on varying building shapes, sizes, materials, colors, architecture, or even ornamentation. It is mostly related to the presence and activity of people that vary from a street to an another and add complexity to the urban scenes. Jane Jacobs (1961, p. 161) describes diversity as a mixture of commercial, residential, and civic uses in proximity to one another, creating human traffic throughout the day and night, and subsequently benefiting the safety, economic dynamic, and appeal of a place. Karmouz streets are characterized by diverse and specific activities: wood, fer forge, hand made fabrics, food, crafts, coffee shops etc. All these activities are brought to the outdoor and use the public space and sidewalks as a place for urban exhibiting. Life is, thus, constantly present in the streets, varies in nature according to commercial or advertising practices and contributes to the streets’ segmentation into different stages. Other elements of the built environment would also contribute to complexity such as streetlights, trees, fountains, benches, paving, and even public art, signage, etc. Signage is a major source of complexity. If well done, signs can add a visual eye catch, make public spaces more inviting, and help create a sense of place and coherence, especially in a high complex urban environment, like Karmouz.

Co mp lex it y Complexity refers to the visual richness of a place. Pedestrians prefer streets high in complexity since they provide interesting things to look at building details, signs, people, surfaces, changing light arrangements and movement, and forms of habitation. In Life between Buildings, Jan Gehl (1987, p. 143) notes that an interesting walking network will have the “psychological effect of making the walking distance seem shorter,” by virtue that the trip is “divided naturally, into manageable stages.” This observation explains why people would walk longer distances in urban settings than suburban ones.

People like complexity, but not the unstructured complexity of the commercial streets. Scenes with high complexity and low coherence tend to be less liked. To follow Kaplan and Kaplan (1989, p. 54) study, Karmouz must increase its coherence in order to deliver some rich and organized urban scenes. Guiding efficiently the walkers through Karmouz is important to put visitors in contact with its most characteristic features. Signage would help in increasing legibility by delivering structured information within an overwhelming environment.

As described by Kevin Lynch, in his classic book, The Image of the City, legibility refers to the facility within the spatial structure of a place can be understood and navigated. Lynch suggests that when faced with a new place, people automatically create a mental map that divides the city into paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. Karmouz possesses strong edges (Cemetery wall, Mosques), distinct landmarks (Pompey’s pillar perspective, Catacombs, Artists coffees, wood stocks on sidewalks), and busy nodes (Clock Market, bâb sidra square, Mîdân el-nîl) that might allow people to form detailed and relatively accurate mental maps.Through wayfinding, legibility facilitates the process by which people move comfortably through the physical environment to reach the desired destination. In the case of Karmouz, it is important to define routes connecting characteristic spaces, which can offer an alternative to actual crowded itineraries and deliver an exploration of a new spatial environment. The layout of the street network isn’t the only factor that influences on legibility. For example, a regular grid of streets makes it easy for people to navigate in an unfamiliar place, although it doesn’t distinguish one place from another. An irregular pattern of streets may increase the difficulty of navigating the network, although it distinguishes each block with different lengths and orientations. The street network must work together with other components of the physical environment to regulate the legibility of a place. Signage, in particular, helps distinguishing one point from another and to orient a traveler. Landmarks also play an important role in mental maps and thus help increase the legibility of a place. Karmouz legibility must then rely on connecting the most characteristic physical features and landmarks that provide a new knowledge of the neighborhood and a sense of place.

e nk ag Li Talking about connectivity, linkage refers to physical and visual connections—from building to the street, building to building, space to space, or one side of the street to the other—that tend to unify disparate elements. Tree lines, buildings’ alignments, and marked crossings all create linkage. The linkage can occur along a street or across a street. The question in Karmouz is about how to create a linkage between the disparate cultural spaces? Some interventions advocate maximizing the pedestrian accessibility by the use of the pedestrianoriented network in addition to ensuring a reasonable travel distance. Walkability comfort is commonly limited to 500 m. The length of the proposed cultural walks is 1,5 km distance (from Bâb Sidra to Catacombs site entrance) articulated around two nodes (the end of the Hour Market and the entrance of Pompey pillar’s site). These two spatial marks allow dividing the travel into three walking stages. Maintenance of sight lines and sidewalk connections are obvious ways to provide linkage, but connectivity can also be provided in more subtle ways through continuous tree rows or passive wayfinding features.

Khedeiwi El Auwal

Ibn Tûlûn

THE CLOCK MARKET

HANDMADE FABRICS MARKET

urban design qualities.

In the actual situation of Karmouz where urban design interventions are hardly implantable, due to the economic and political situation, we decided at the first step to propose some wayfinding features and work mostly on a psychological linkage, by producing a “Cultural walk book” that recomposes comprehensible links between most characteristic spaces in Karmouz.

STORY The giant of the Catacombs

550 m asriy N El i ar Sh Shari El

STREET ARTS

Nasriya

THE CATACOMBS

HISTORIC TRAM

Khedeiwi El Auwal

BAB SIDRA

Ibn Tûlûn

Ar ak

il B

) es

Sid

FER FORGE

0 65 Midan El Nil

Âmû

d El

45 0 Sâw m ( 6 mi âri n)

ari

b Bâ

l Nil

Shari E

b Bâ

WOOD MARKET

Sid

STORY Pompey Pillar's ghosts Abo Mansha

l Nil Shari E

25 0

in)

HISTORIC CAFE

Shâri Karm

m (7 min) Abu Mandour ya Bab E l Mu luk

ûs

POMPEY PILLAR

STORY Saad Askandr Kamouz serial killer BAB AL MULUK

îya

El Taufîq

CRAFTS

STORY El Dadah Cafe The Artists Cafe

THE QUESTION IN KARMOUZ IS ABOUT HOW TO C R E AT E A L I N K AG E B E T W EEN T H E D I S PA R AT E C U LT U R A L S PAC E S

UPON THE PREVIOUS URBAN QUALITIES, WE DEVELOPED SOME URBAN DESIGN SCENARIOS TO ENHANCE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE IN KARMOUZ, FOCUSING O N C U LT U R A L V I S I B I L I T Y. TA L K I N G W I T H I N H A B I TA N T S AND LOOKING BEYOND COMMON JUDGMENT ALLOWED THE DISCOVERY OF VARIOUS HIDDEN POTENTIALS. S E V ER A L CU LT U R A L S PAC E S W ER E REPORTED AS IT WAS SHOWED ON THE PR E V I O US M A P : A RO OT ED CU LT U R E OF CRAFTS (WOOD, TEXTILES OR E V E N S T E E L- W O R K , A R I C H A R T I S T I C HISTORY AND

A VA LUA B L E H ER I TAG E

DAT I N G FRO M A N CI EN T T I M E S . T H E GOAL OF THE WORKSHOP WAS TO CONNECT THESE SPACES IN ORDER TO H I G H L I G H T T H E CU LT U R A L C A PI TA L O F K A R M O UZ T H AT M I G H T H EL P I N DR AWING A BET TER PERSPECTIVE. URBA N A ND HUMA N RE SOURCE S E XIS T, NEVERTHELESS, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO BRING LEGIBILIT Y AND IMAGEABILITY THROUGH DIFFERENT MEDIUMS. FOLLOWING PROPOSALS CONTRIBUTE TO REVEALING K ARMOUZ SENSE OF PLACE:

alk he w ne t defi Re For a direct in-depth look at Karmouz history, it is recommended to avoid the congested and busy street of Âmûd al-Sawârî where is the famous “Hour market”. Our strategy invites the pedestrians to enter to the neighborhood through the urban axis linking Mîdân Omar Pasha to Mîdân al-Nîl through Bâb Sidra1. The actual street offers a better environment for pedestrian and a more authentic character of the place. The street of Abû Sidra delivers an immediate contact with the heritage of Karmouz by offering a perspective in the direction to Pompey Pillar. Guiding the people along this historical axis of Bab Sidra would, on one hand, offer the possibility to cross the ancient traces of history. On the other hand, it introduces the visitors to the neighborhood's main qualities : markets with distinctive characters for wood, steel work, textiles, etc. In a complex fabric of narrow streets, the lecture of the contemporary city structure of Karmouz can be enhanced by guiding the visitors through the main axis of Sidra street and Abu Mandûr, connecting thus the different artifacts and famous coffee places setting along Bâb Sidra in the direction to the Catacombs. Many high-rise facades can be used as urban screens that can carry messages or signs that reveal the path to follow and the valuable places to see. Urban design interventions must be planned in this area to improve the available infrastructures ( sidewalks, greenery, waste containers, signs, etc) and manage the flows by securing the pedestrian movement. The actual situation of Karmouz is quite complex in term of resources to undertake this kind of interventions. For instance, the "Karmouz Culture walks book " can be used as an information source to express the imageability of the neighborhood and indicate the itineraries to follow. Pedestrianization and wayfinding projects can be planned for a later phase to increase legibility and imageability upon the following scenarios :

CRE ATE TR ANSPARENC Y TOWARDS POMPEY’S PILLAR

S TA

1 The triangle blocks at the entrance of Karmouz enclose a series of markets: Market of the Clock:The big axis of the triangular of Bab Sidra receive the Clock Market for fabrics, clothes, sheets selling especially imported goods. The narrow streets of the market have the same type of merchandise, but also local sewers, crafters, people that work on the fabrics. The market of Wood: Along Bab Sidra coming from Omar basha, there is a market that sells both wooden elements for local consumption (wood used for construction sites with cheap quality) or more precious wooden elements (doors) that have historic significance and are bought by foreigners. Most of these products are brought from several Provinces like (Kafr sheikh’s -Domiat, etc.). Most seller men live in Karmous. Due to the stagnant economic prospects case, they find it difficult to sell there products. Fabric market: The people that sew curtains, repair clothes and make adjustments to products usually work unofficially, often on the ground floor of the block-of-flats where they live. Curtains market: Along with some entire streets, family members work on each step of the process to have decorated curtains. Each one is doing a step of the chain to accomplish the whole product. Pottery: We find a lot of stores are selling pottery. Most of the people who buy these products live in Karmouz. This pottery isn’t locally made but imported from Kafr el shaikh. Some of these shops have a movable car to carry this pottery and go around the street to sell the product. Informal: Many stalls and vendors wander around Karmouz to sell various products from falafel to cane juice, sweets, and fruits. We can also observe some crafts hanged on facades or exposed along street sides to be sell.

C ATACO MB S

REDIRECT VISITORS TOWARDS THE HISTORIC ENTRANCE OF KARMOUZ

SID R A G AT E

CONNECT CHARACTERISTIC AND HIS TORIC FE AT URES THROUGH A MAJOR WALK

POMPEY PILLAR

IMPROVE LINKAGE THROUGH VARIOUS PEDES TRIANIZ ATION INTERVENTIONS ALONG THE MAJOR WALK

ADIUM

THE KINGS G AT E MA JOR WALK ABLE AXIS FOR PEDESTRIANS SECOND WALK ABLE AXIS HISTORICAL TRACES

FAMOUS COFFEE PLACES

ted re vis i uz mo K ar

New Visual Wayfinding Strategy

2 Skill Sharing Laboraty Network

Walls o Stories

of s

PLACE OF EXCHANGE, LEARNING, EXHIBITING AND PROMOTING

Local artisans share their knowledge and expertise around the different crafts, such as wood carving, sewing, pottery, working with metal. In the different markets, local artisans are open & willing to exchange over their art and pass it to new generations. Young people or unemployed learn new skills that they can develop later. They can either work in the local shops and workshops, or they can practice some skills, such as sewing, from their homes. Visitors of the area have the opportunity to assist a workshop, admire the local artisansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skills and learn about the community oaf Karmouz. They can also buy the products that re-showcased and explore the itinerary to other workshops.

A TOOL FOR PROMOTING THE UNIQUE CHARACTER / A TOOL FOR FACILITATING URBAN E XPLOR ATIONS

The new visual identity is based on the following principles: Use a unique color for each category of merchandise (fabrics, wood, metal, vegetables and fruits, food, crafts.) So each one of the colors represents one of the categories and we find them in the different visual elements. Selective use of signs in horizontal and vertical surfaces. The introduction of new visual elements based on already existing structures, so that they are not perceived as urban space invaders but more as a local intervention for locals and by locals. The visual wayfinding elements to introduce are: Vertical flags-banners mark the entrance of the souk streets and provide a clear indication which paths to follow, according to the offer of products. These vertical banners are inspired by the structures used in the streets when there are festivities, such as weddings or other popular ceremonies. They are made of wood and have fabrics that have the respective colors of the markets. Horizontal stripes on the streets to indicate the flow towards the different markets. The strips lead to the skillsharing laboratories.

A TOOL FOR REMEMBERING STORIES AND SHARING MEMORIES / A TOOL FOR AC TIVATING STORES SHUTTERS WHEN CLOSED

The walls of stories use the space of closed shutters as an urban canvas where the stories of Karmouz are narrated. Formal or informal, stories of the historical past or the artistic scene of the present, the legendary protagonists of Karmouz or the not-so-known artisans, these stories are painted on the shutters. When the market closes, an open air exhibition of the story of Karmouz animates the streets.

SAWP : POTENTIAL SPACES FOR ARTS, WELFARE AND PROGRESS

WEEK DAYS BY DAY

C ATACO MB S

PROMOTE LOCAL EXPERTISE Street Abou Mandour has a significant amount of local artisans, working mainly on leather, jewelry, pottery and local delicacies. The street is strategically placed at the entrance of the two major archaeological sites of Karmouz, the Pompeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pillars, and the Catacombs. Since there are no empty spaces where a workshop could be hosted, we propose to host temporary workshops in the place of each artisan. Each artisan could introduce young people or women in their art, so they can later work from their house, or stay as a trainee by the local business. They could also produce souvenir items by reinterpreting the local characteristics and exhibit them along the street to the visitors.

HIGHLIGHT AND ENCOURAGE INFORMAL OPEN AIR ART EXHIBITIONS

SID R A G AT E

CRE ATE SKILL S SHARING L ABOR ATORIES IN VACANT SPACES

FACILITATE URBAN E XPLOR ATION THROUGH VERTICAL LOCAL BANNERS

USE URBAN NODES

POMPEY PILLAR

AC TIVATE URBAN SCREENS TO INCREASE LEGIBILITY

Midan El Nil Square is situated in the intersection between the different souks. It is in a strategic location so as to promote visually and spatially the local craft scene, assured by the establishment of an extrovert workshop. The workshop is proposed to be in the empty lot currently used as garage next to the square. It can host the different artisans in a rotating base, according to peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interests. The workshop can be hosted in a temporary structure, made of wooden elements, supplied by the local shops, so as to enhance the spontaneous character and the local identity.

THE CLOCK MARKET between 10 am and 9 pm from Monday to Saturday MAJOR WALKABLE AXIS TO DEVELOP

THE KINGS G AT E

OLD FACTORY

SECOND WALKABLE AXIS SECURED ALLEYS Potential open arts exhibitions

HISTORICAL TRACES FAMOUS COFFEE PL ACES Spaces for arts and culture (story telling / theater, etc.)

VACANT OR MISUSED L ANDS Potential Spaces for Skills sharing Labs & events MOSQUES Extensible public space

SAWP : POTENTIAL SPACES FOR ARTS, WELFARE AND PROGRESS

SUNDAY & AT N I G HT

STORIES’ URBAN CANVAS

MOSQUE SQUARES AS A TEMPOR ARY PUBLIC SPACE

TEMPOR AY E VENTS IN VACANT LOTS

The appropriation of the physical environment with chairs, ambulant goods, games or ceremonies are a proper use of public space in Karmouz. The in situ observations showed how busiest streets by day would turn into a big void at night or on Sundays. Inhabitants have the ability to reinvent the uses of public space during these off-peak hours. Empty spaces turn into playgrounds, commercial or even private terraces extending domestic interiors. These practices of spontaneous commerce activities can be replicated, and strategically connected to some artistic and cultural events. These actions would also encourage a qualitative placemaking and support the promotion of a local and authentic character: temporary artistic or cultural events, “Walls of stories” that expose the neighborhood diverse identity or other wayfinding features that can be visible during off-peak hours. Various temporary public spaces can be explored such as spaces beside Mosques, pedestrian alleys, sidewalks, vacant lots, coffee spaces, terraces, etc.

PEDESTRIAN ALLEYS FOR OPEN AIR EXHIBITIONS

USE TEMPORARY URBAN VOID FOR CRE ATING E VENTS AND TEMPORARY ACTIVITIES

EXPLORE STORES’ SHU T TERS TO NARR ATE THE NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES “IMAGEABILITY URBAN WALLS”

CAFE SPACES AS A SOCIAL INTERFACE FOR STORYTELLING

TEMPOR ARY PUBLIC SPACE Potential reception of artistic and religious events

WALLS OF STORIES

CRAFT(WO)MEN & NOSTALGY

ARTISTS

HERITAGE

LEGENDS

SECURED ALLEYS Potential open arts exhibitions FAMOUS COFFEE PL ACES Spaces for arts and cutlure (story telling / theater, etc.)

S A W P, M E A N I N G “DIRECTION” IN ARABIC, AIMS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND R AISE LOCAL AWARENESS THROUGH THE A LT ER N AT I V E L A N G UAG E O F C R E AT I V E A R T S .

Conclusion For us, Urbego and ElMadina, it was important to take advantage of this cultural encounter between Europe and the Arab world to discuss together the best ways to support locals in exploring their resources, arts, and culture, to operate towards an effective social change. Our idea isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about turning this site into an attractive touristic place. The Unesco and other organizations are already planning to include some of Karmouz monuments and structures to the human heritage sites. Our work integrates a social development dimension and, therefore,the path is long and harsh. Step by step, the direction will be defined. SAWP, meaning â&#x20AC;&#x153;directionâ&#x20AC;? in Arabic, aims to support social development and raise local awareness through the alternative language of creative arts. It aspires to explore different spaces in Alexandria with an original lens, space where it is possible to share local knowledge and culture, a place where arts can become a way to communicate hidden resources and promote a positive image. During the Workshop we have held in Alexandria on spring 2016, European and Arab professionals, students, artists as well as activists, architects, urban planners and inhabitants of Karmouz identified possible ways to enhance the dynamics of human and urban potentials. Many ideas emerged to turn vacant lots, famous coffees or blinded facades into places for cultural exhibiting, promoting, exchange and learning. The multidisciplinary exchange took into account that a place is an expression of human culture, and culture is a social process where people produce meaning to offer themselves a sense of identity. Many scenarios were proposed to offer the possibility of constructing a collective identity to be disseminated in the urban realm. The workshop results offer a modest base for a possible foresight. Some inhabitants of Karmouz took part in achieving this mapping. Recognition goes to them because it would have been difficult to reach this knowledge without a local review. The future development depends primarily on the degree of exploration of this cultural potential to plan advocacy and social development actions. The next steps plan to involve a range of community in variant activities to network, record, conserve and use these elements as potential for economic, social and cultural development. Besides this informative report, a book was edited for this purpose. The compilation narrates the cultural capital of Karmouz and delivers a tool to raise awareness about the cultural value of the neighborhood. A first releasing of the booklet was planned on November 2016 in Karmouz neighborhood during multidisciplinary cultural events highlighting the oral collected materials. Measuring the effects request time and further bottom-up actions. Distrust with institutional order shifts the sphere of influence to civil and auto-organized structures. Many are doing meaningful actions and gaining wider trust among the population. Still, many connection and networking have to be done to increase the positive influence, inspire inhabitants self-trust and gain a wider space in decision-making.

S A W P, M E A N I N G “DIRECTION” IN ARABIC, AIMS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND R AISE LOCAL AWARENESS THROUGH THE A LT ER N AT I V E L A N G UAG E O F C R E AT I V E A R T S .

PROJECT PARTNERS

SUPPORTED BY

LOCAL PARTNERS

S AW P C U LT U R E WA L K S REPORT BY URBEGO

Workshop & Report Coordinator Farah Makki, Urbego SAWP Project Manager Mohab Saber, ElMadina for performing and Digital Arts SAWP Concept Ahmed Saleh Mohab Saber Aashima Praveen Photos Kirlos Yousif Stories collectors & dramaturge Ahmed Saleh Khouloud Essa Sabri Sleem

THANKS TO

Karmouz Inhabitants Workshop Participants Noha Hosny Saber Gaber Hend ElHaririe ElSarh Association Samar Abdel Hakeem Sohaila Abdelaziz Faculty of Fine Arts Mohamed Gohary Heba El Hanafi Jihad Abu Sief Mohamed ElSaid Abbas David Ashraf Al-Manufiah University Ahmed hazem Faculty of Engineering Mohamed Ayman Kotb General organization for physical planning Mohamed Ossama Atta El-Madina for Performing and Digital Arts Ahmed Saleh Khouloud Essa Sabry Saleem Urbego Alexandro Zomas Kamar Makki Carla Felicetti Mara Papavasiliou Nour Makki

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