Towards green cities in developing countries: Egyptian new cities as a case study

Abstract

In developing countries, most cities suffer from numerous problems associated with the processes of their urban management and development. These problems have a great influence on the environmental performance of those cities. Egyptian cities are no exception to such cities. Recently, Egypt has been undergoing rapid urbanization and industrialization. It is claimed that there have been various undesired effects on the environment resulting from these development processes. In fact, it could be said that development processes, as a result of national policy over the past 3 decades, are associated with a wide range of problems and impacts on the environment. In this respect, sustainability has been the most trending issue in developing urban communities all over the world. Great efforts have been made through sustainable urban design to enhance the quality of life. Furthermore, it is advocated that to make these communities sustainable, a comprehensive management of their systems is essential. This research advocates that green mechanisms within urban management in Egypt would offer appropriate solutions for their problems. This research casts light on one of the recent green urban management evaluation mechanisms. The African Green City Index is adopted in this research to examine the environmental performance of three new cities in Egypt, and the commitment made to reducing the environmental impact associated with their urban development. The research concludes with the identification of green policy proposals for improving the selected cities’ environmental performance and urban management. These proposals could be considered as initiatives and guidelines for other Egyptian cities and could pave the way for identifying appropriate policies for enhancing the quality of green city urban systems within the Egyptian context.