REVITALIZING HISTORIC CAIRO: THREE DECADES OF POLICY FAILURE

Abstract

Historic Cairo holds an impressive record of built heritage, which no other city holds this amount of rich architecture and urban quarters. This gathered worldwide expertise attention plus financial support for safeguarding and developing these populated settlements. This historic district experienced several projects of development through international and local efforts. However, for more than three decades; Historic Cairo was challenged with physical and socio-economic deterioration. Since, the strategic drivers for any developing project are the objectives and policies then it is crucial to stretch our scope of studies toward the formulation and implementation of policies. The aim of this paper is to examine the formulation and implementation of polices within the process of revitalizing Historic Cairo, in order to reveal the major challenges and defects. This study will be addressed through a quantitative, qualitative and narrative analysis of the role and feedback of users, developers, implementers, and professional expertise in the field of revitalizing Historic Cairo. The research will focus on two major and influential case studies - the Gamalia and Darb Al Ahmar quarters - in relation to the social, economic, and physical dimensions of revitalization. The study exposes the improper orientation of polices and directives toward the built heritage, discard of local inhabitants’ needs and rights, and the effect of corruptive administration upon the historic quarters.