Abstract

Abstract

Since the 2011 revolution, the overall Egyptian living experience has changed a lot. A chain reaction of social, political, and physical changes came to life in a magnitude incomparable to the preceding 30 years. Social and political activism became evident in several events. Through ambitious projects and plans of ongoing implementation, Egypt's urban conditions and networks are greatly changed. These projects are a distinct transformation from the past years of urban development that was limited to satellite cities of limited appeal to population and developers. Although resolutions do not aim for mega-project developments, we argue that in the Egyptian context the surge in mega-projects is a repetitive post-revolution scenario. These mega-projects are state-driven and mediated as tools to help stabilise social, political, and economic conditions. This research aims to trace and examine the mega-project pattern taking place in Egypt post revolution. The methodology used is a comparative analysis that draws a comparison between Egypt post 1952 revolution, which transformed Egypt from a monarchy into a republic, and post 2011 revolution, to show that in both cases a mega-project development strategy was implemented. On the one hand, the state is seen to use a mega-development strategy to enhance feelings of national pride and social strength following a political transformation. On the other hand, these mega-projects affirm the stability and legitimacy of the newly appointed government to attract international investments and regain the economic balance lost during the turbulence of the revolution. This research concludes that mega-projects have multi-faceted implications on social, economic, and political variations of Egypt's image and conditions both nationally and internationally. This work sets a precedent to identify the recurring patterns of mega-project development post revolution, which can be further examined and criticised in future research.

Trialog - A Journal for Planning and Building in a Global Context #143 “City, Community and Heritage in Egypt: 2011-2021” edited by Hebatalla Abouelfadl, Mirhan Damir, Mohamed ElGamal and Franziska Laue
https://www.trialog-journal.de/en/journals/trialog-143-city-community-and-heritage-in-egypt-2011-2021/