The influence of sustainable building of gated communities on the natural environment and the user: the case of Madinaty city

Abstract

Nowadays, the world is facing a global issue as a result of the depletion of the environment’s natural resources. This is a consequence of conventional building techniques that exploit these resources without considering the negative consequences on the environment and the future. This is the reason why there is an urge to preserve these resources for the sake of future generations. Sustainability’s main aim is to preserve the environment’s natural resources, like water and energy, to meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Based on this, the United Nations initiated a global trend to face this challenge through sustainable building. This paper investigates the positive impact of sustainable building on the environment and the users in order to provide a better quality of life. The case study investigates Madinaty city, which is a gated community situated to the east of Cairo city center. Initially, sustainability is analyzed based on global and local criteria, and its impact on the environment and user is evaluated. Based on the global assessment, the results show that Madinaty has succeeded in achieving sustainable design; however, some issues need to be improved such as housing affordability, availability of services, and preserving the cultural heritage. On the local level, all criteria are met except for the balance between supply and demand. When evaluating these results, it is concluded that Madinaty has succeeded in having a positive impact on the environment and the users, eventually providing a better quality of life.