Sociotecture: Revolutionizing the Process of Informal Housing in Egypt

Abstract

It is estimated that one billion people around the world live in unsanitary, destitute, and dangerous slums. Millions of these dwellers live in Egypt. Within Cairo, Ezbet el Haggana is considered one of the world's largest “megaslum” with over one million people. There are vast areas that lack access to plumbing, electricity, roads, schools, hospitals or emergency personnel. Without the reversal of the slums, many countries will not be able to pull themselves into holistic nations and will remain bound by the poorest tier of their society. By socially rehabilitating these conditions through urban design and architecture, the restructuring of their physical environment will enhance the individual's identity, self-worth, and social interactions. Through the understanding of the historical, political, and economic climate of Egypt, as well as the slum residents' expectations and social needs, the design of the community is driven with the purpose of encouraging positive behaviors. With these outcomes, the design parameters inform the design project which aims to create clean, prosperous, and safe dwellings. The new urban approach aims to cultivate communal needs and nourish the social and economic development of the slums. Finally, a methodology of assessing slums was developed to promote a global approach that can serve as a framework for application across varying slums around the world. The methodology is then applied to Ezbet el Haggana in order to illustrate the potential of the process.