Investigating the impact of urban planning policies on urban division in Cairo, Egypt: The case of El-Maadi and Dar El-Salam

Abstract

Urban division is a process formed by the reaction of several forces, among which, the role of urban policies in shaping division proves high prominence. Cairo witnesses a spatial pattern of division where contrasting socioeconomic areas exist in close proximity. Although some researchers have recently addressed this division in Cairo, its relation with urban policies has always been generalized regardless the specificity of location. This research aims at understanding the relation between urban policies and socioeconomic division on a micro level by investigating how broad urban policies are reflected on a certain part of the city leading to its division. Accordingly, the research adopts a twofold methodology. The first is for selecting the case study which leads to choosing the divided area of (El-Maadi) and (Dar El-Salam). The second is for analyzing the relation with urban policies by forming a relations diagram with lines of causes and influence described with respect to time. The research shows a strong relation between division and urban policies. It is concluded that division is also affected by how urban policies interact with each other and with the characteristics of the area. This puts the generalization of urban policies affecting division under question.