Typology of informal housing in Egyptian cities:Taking account of diversity

Abstract

In the last few decades, informality has became the dominant feature of urban growth on the periphery of Greater Cairo and in the city of Alexandria, which is the second-largest urban area in Egypt. This results in diverse and complex informal housing development. Three main forms of housing—semi-informal, squats and ex-formal—have emerged, all of them making use of agricultural or desert lands. Various actors have been involved in the informal development process. Understanding the built environment of informal housing developments would enable the state and housing professionals to provide better information about quantification and valuation in this sector, and promote economic development. The value of informal property should be harnessed to promote development and alleviate poverty.