Cairo 2050 - CUBE Consultants

Info & Data

Owner: Ministry of Housing & Urban Communities, Egypt.

Planning Consultant: Cube Consultants

Year: 2010

Objectives of the Egyptian vision

“In 2050, Egypt would become an advanced country (economically and socially) and acts effectively on the regional and international level"

-Raise the quality of life standards to become one of the best 30 countries around the world instead of the current ranking (84) of the 100 countries.
-Raise human development standards to become one of the best 30 countries in the world instead of the current ranking (111) of the 180 countries.
-Raise the quality of Egyptian production (Made in Egypt).
- Reach higher rates in sustainable economic development (not less than 7.5% per year).
- Achieve social equity (between different segments of society).
- Restructure the demographic distribution of Egypt, to enhance the benefit of Egypt's geographical location and its natural potentials.
- Build an integrated society in which all can enjoy the rights of citizenship.
- Maximize the effectiveness of Egypt’s regional role on the Arab, Islamic, and African levels.

Main sectors of Egypt’s vision 2050

Population and Urbanization: include land use, the spatial distribution of population, housing, infrastructure, living services.

Employment and Economy: include job opportunities, economic activities, Geographical distribution, development and employment of resources, interaction with land, and resources.

Environment: the quality of life, maintenance of non-renewable natural resources and rationalize their use.

Human and Life: (human development and quality of life) education, health, culture, tradition, essential demands and social security.

In 2050, Total population of Egypt will reach about 140 - 145 million inhabitant

Main sectors of Egypt’s vision 2050

Achieve a balanced urban development (spatial, volume) by focusing on the development of small and medium-sized cities.

• Re-definition and formulation of the Egyptian countryside.

Increase the inhabited area by 6% to 15% of the total area during the next four decades.

Support the decentralization of management, planning, and implementation.

Vision orientation

• Limit the centralization of Cairo as unique pole through creating others poles

Why a Vision for Cairo

Surplus of the population in Greater Cairo Region

2006: 16 million inhabitant

2020: 20 million inhabitant

2050: 30 million inhabitant

The region accommodates: 22% of the total population of Egypt & 43% of the total urban population of Egypt

Main problems of the Region

High residential density in main existing agglomeration.
Rising traffic congestion.
Limit/mediocre use of culture and natural resources.
Mediocre living conditions in some areas.
Limited green spaces (0.3 m2 /person within the ring road and 1.5 m2/person in the region as total).

More than 75% of inhabitant are living within 30km from the mass center

Execute Technical cooperation with national and international agencies/firms to elaborate studies, plans such as JICA and World bank, UNDP and UN-Habitat

Cairo needs a new strategic plan based on sustainable principles.
The need for massive and rapid shift in thinking and implementation to secure better life for current and future generations.

STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES

Inhabitant

One of the largest cities in the world in the labor force, large markets and purchasing power
One of the highest population densities of Metropolis in the world

Economy

High rate of Egyptian GDP and a strong contribution in the national economy
High rate of unemployment (7%)

Heritage & tourism structure :

Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic period
Nile river, oasis, natural resources

Urban fabric

More than 75% of the population living within 30 km from the city center
More than 40% of urban areas are illegal settlement

The vision and its objectives

The vision

Sustainable development vision for Cairo 2050 and beyond.
Includes social, cultural, and economic fields integrated with the urban field.
With good Governance, we can achieve the best results for current and future generations.

Global

African gate and one of the best Middle Eastern capitals.
Regional and international pole for political, administrative, cultural, tourism, and economic sectors.
Capital of world heritage with all its historical heritage.
Act effectively in the global culture networks and an active partner in the global knowledge exchange.
Includes tourism and commercial activities and high-level business.
Includes social, cultural and tourism institutions to protect, attract different talents.
A global city with high technology.

Green

Good living conditions for its citizens (to be among the 30 best cities in the world).
One of the pioneer cities in the context of the environmental level.
Restoration of the urban and architectural heritage of the city and elimination of slums.
Reach the international standard for green areas/per capita.
Containing routes for pedestrians, open and green areas, and public squares.

Connected

Socially connected

Social equity and social cohesion.
Commitment to the participatory and cooperation cultures between the government, private sector, and civil society.
The city is a part of the national and international community.

Road and Transportation networks connection

Access to roads network linking Cairo suburbs to regional roads.
Good transportation network at an international level.
It has a pedestrian and cycling network linked with the transportation network.

Technology Connected

The network has a link to government services through internet “high-speed internet – road band connection”

Basic Principles to achieve the vision

G.C.R should be competitive at the national, international level.
Investment & Exploitation of GCR potentials as the capital of Egypt (social, historical, cultural, tourism).
Preservation and rehabilitation of historical and heritage zones.
Precise urgent needs for social, cultural, economic, and urban development to improve quality of life for CAIRO citizens.
Provision and increase job opportunities, investment of human capacity.
Upgrade poor, deteriorate, and informal existing areas, provide new adequate residential areas compatible with government plans to limit informal zones in order to create a good and healthy society.
Relocation of land uses that cause pollution far from the city center.
Improvement and creation of roads, tunnels and transportation networks within the GCR at regional, national and international level
Upgrade infrastructure network.
Create a green grid from green areas and parks to upgrade living conditions.
Enhance the coherence and integration between the existing urban areas and new urban communities.
Identify and create a network of investment projects (culture, administration, tourism, religious, social….) in order to attract investors and implement projects of 2050 vision with their participation and integration.
Implement existing and approved mega projects as priority projects due to their regional and national importance such as relocation of ministries and public institutions outside the core of the city.
Encourage the participation of civils and citizens as an important issue to the sustainable development of the Cairo 2050 projects.

The strategic sectors and Themes to realize the vision

Main development sectors for G.C.R

Sector (1) Better Governance

Precise the limits of the administration boundary of the capital within the region.
Special law and institutional framework for the capital different than local administration law.
Encourage the cooperation of the private sector in development projects/ programmers.
Identify clear roles for the province's urban communities and give each of them a branding that prevents competition among them.

Many responsibilities and roles for many different central and local authorities in controlling and implementing development projects in the region

Upgrade living conditions at international standard

Better Governance
Housing and informal
Improve the environment and Increase green areas
Roads and Transportation
Water and Sewage sector

Housing and informal: decentralization and redistribution of population in Cairo and Giza

Basic principles of housing in the capital

Adequate urban house with high living conditions.
Upgrade informal areas by converting them to planned areas with complete infrastructure and services.
Take into consideration, as priorities, the social issue, and protection of citizen's life when upgrading informal zones.

Maadi- Zamalek- Heliopolis-Garden city- Dokki-Mohandessin-Agouza and others planned zones

Set building regulations for zones:

Maadi, Heliopolis, Garden City, El Dokki, Mohandessin, Agouza, and other planned zones

In order to preserve the special character of these zones and control demolition and building through:

Precise building heights limit, taking into consideration the existing situation.
Prevent miss-uses which causes traffic congestion.
Built multi-store garage.
Precise axes for services and commercial uses.

Dealing with these areas through:

Open accesses and roads
Provide essential services, facilities in pockets and vacant land
SMEs and job creation for the youth

Improve the environment and increase green areas

Raise the rate of green areas/capital to reach 15 m2/person ..thus total green areas in the region will be 50 thousand (acres) feddan

Relocate polluting industries (cement, steel,…) and pig farms outside the region.

Public transportation: current situation

Proposed for G.C.R. in 2050
15 lines: for 600 km 60 km/million persons

Roads Network

Create & upgrade road network & Speed Corridors

14 highway linking the inside and outside of the ring road along the 1000 Km

Increasing subway lines

14 highway to better link inside and outside region

Create and upgrade road network and speed corridors

14 highway corridors for better linking inside and outside the region

Culture and media sector

A set of specialized museums, cultural centers on the international level.
Establish a global movie studio.
International library in Cairo.

Industry sector

Create two medical towns at international standards especially for tertiary care (open heart surgery, liver, and kidney.
Air ambulance and medical evacuation (medical intervention in case of disaster emergency) to Egypt and the countries of the region.
Focus on natural medicinal products.

Education sector

Establish Cairo International city for Education and Research.
Create three technology poles along the main development corridor.
Create eight international joint universities.
Create ten center units for training and control researches in science and technology.

Tourism sector

Current no. of hotel rooms = 27 thousand room

In 2020 no. of hotel rooms = 30 thousand room

2050 no. of hotel rooms = 50 thousand room

Use of Nile river as a recreational axe.
Transformation of Islamic, Coptic, Khedive Cairo zones to open museum and touristic centers.
Expansion of recreational and therapeutic tourism, conferences, and exhibitions.

Finance and trade sector

Create a center for financial services well served with transportation and telecommunication network.
Support the financial sector to finance small projects.
Activate the economic cores for local industries.
National program to exceed the rate of dealing with persons with the sector.

Telecommunication and technology sector

Establish a number of technology universities.
Increase the export of services and technology products.
Develop an information infrastructure.
Enlarge the use of technology tools.
Continue to liberate the sector to contribute with international agreements on commercial bodies in order to encourage investment or s participation.

Telecommunication and technology sector

Establish a number of technology universities.
Increase the export of services and technology products.
Develop an information infrastructure.
Enlarge the use of technology tools.
Continue to liberate the sector to contribute with international agreements on commercial bodies in order to encourage investment or s participation.

Proposed Mega Projects within the region to achieve Cairo vision 2050

International, Green, Connected City

historical places at Cairo's core

proposed decentralization locations

Mega Projects

proposed mega projects to achieve the vision

Cairo's districts have been divided into 11 development sectors ( Mega development projects )