This presentation was conducted as a part of the City Management course in Ain Shams University in Cairo for 4th year students in 2017 The work presented is based on my master thesis research - Connecting Urban Policy. Making and Implementation. Case of Maspero, Cairo, Egypt https://iusd.asu.edu.eg/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/3rdInt_Hendawy.pdf

1. URBAN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT
MennatuAllah Hendawy
MSC. Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design
Teaching assisstant, Ain Shams University, Egypt
mennatuallah.hendawy@eng.asu.edu.eg

2. https://www.google.com.eg/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiSpPTbtarSAhUoLMAKHfqoAPkQFggc-
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3. AGENDA
THE EGYPTIAN CONTEXT
EVOLUTION AND INSTITUTIONALISATION OF URBAN PLANNING IN EGYPT
PLANNING OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT
KEY ACTORS INFLUENCING URBAN DEVELOPMENT
CONCLUDING REMARKS

4. THE EGYPTIAN CONTEXT
Levels of policy, planning, territory, administration in Egypt
Source: Author based on (Hamilton, et al., 2012; World Bank, 2007; Hamrouni, 2013; Araby, 2013; Tadamun, n.d.; Ahmed, 2015) reviewed with (Abdulaty, 2015;
)Elshaarawy, 2015

5. THE EGYPTIAN CONTEXT
Egypt is divided into 7 eco-
nomic regions
(Greater Cairo, Alexandria, Del-
ta, Canal, North Upper Egypt,
South Upper Egypt, and Asyut)
that are cascaded to different
local units on five levels.
Each local unit have a definite
legal status forming governo-
rates, cities, markaz (kisms),
district (hai), and villages
(shieakhah).
Local government units launch
and manage public services
and design industrial areas
within their districts (United
Nations, 2004). Levels of policy, planning, territory, administration in Egypt
Source: Author based on (Hamilton, et al., 2012; World Bank, 2007; Hamrouni, 2013; Araby, 2013; Tadamun, n.d.; Ahmed, 2015) reviewed with (Abdulaty, 2015;
)Elshaarawy, 2015

6. Levels of policy, planning, territory, administration in Egypt
Source: Author based on (Hamilton, et al., 2012; World Bank, 2007; Hamrouni, 2013; Araby, 2013; Tadamun, n.d.; Ahmed, 2015) reviewed with (Abdulaty, 2015;
)Elshaarawy, 2015
THE EGYPTIAN CONTEXT
Governorates are formed by a
decree from the president in-
volving one or more cities and
governors are selected by the
president. They form the main
units of the local administra-
tion system in the country, with
no political role.
Egypt consist of 26 gover-
norates which consist of two
types, urban simple and com-
plex (Sims, 2003; United Na-
tions, 2004).
They are responsible for exe-
cution and implementation of
policies at higher levels. How-
ever in reality they do not have
their own budget or source of
finance, they totally depend on
the budget of the central gov-
ernment (Sims, 2003; Shaath,
2015). They also suffer from
bureaucracy and low salaries”
(Sims, 2003, p. 4; Elshaarawy,
2015).

7. THE EGYPTIAN CONTEXT
Markas (kisms), cities and hai
are formed by a decree from
the prime minister, following
an approval from the local pub-
lic unit.
The second type is villages
(shieakhah) are formed by a
decree from the governor ac-
cording to the public council of
the Markaz, and the approval
of the local governorate public
council (Sims, 2003; United Na-
tions, 2004).
Levels of policy, planning, territory, administration in Egypt
Source: Author based on (Hamilton, et al., 2012; World Bank, 2007; Hamrouni, 2013; Araby, 2013; Tadamun, n.d.; Ahmed, 2015) reviewed with (Abdulaty, 2015;
)Elshaarawy, 2015

8. THE EGYPTIAN CONTEXT
As the governorate employ-
ees are selected by the central
government, since 1979, a par-
allel system was regularized to
allow for elected councils “lo-
cal popular councils” to repre-
sent the population on the gov-
ernorate and district level.
Theoretically, these councils
legally represent the voice of
the people and are responsible
for approving
development plans and budg-
ets. However, in reality they
have a limited power, and their
members are usually from the
same ruling party which makes
a conflict of interest during
decision making (Sims, 2003;
World Bank, 2007).
Levels of policy, planning, territory, administration in Egypt
Source: Author based on (Hamilton, et al., 2012; World Bank, 2007; Hamrouni, 2013; Araby, 2013; Tadamun, n.d.; Ahmed, 2015) reviewed with (Abdulaty, 2015;
)Elshaarawy, 2015

9. EVOLUTION AND INSTITUTIONALISATION OF URBAN PLANNING IN
EGYPT
Evolution and institutionalisation of urban planning in Egypt
)Source: Author based on (Alfiky, 2014; World Bank, 2007; Sims, 2003; Azouz, 2015; El-Shahat & El-khateeb, 2013; Khalifa, 2013; Youssry, 2015

10. PLANNING OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT
In general, planning in Egypt
starts at the national level
through a five year socio- eco-
nomic development plan (stated
in law 70 of 1973),
which is divided at lower levels
into plans, programs and projects
in different fields through the lo-
cal administration act 34 of 1979.
Where urban planning and devel-
opment represent one of these
fields where projects at local lev-
els should be guided by the na-
tional development plan at higher
levels.
Planning, policies and governance levels in Egypt
)Source: Author based on (Salheen & El Khateeb, n.d.) revised with (Elshaarawy, 2015; Youssry, 2015

11. PLANNING OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT
Socio-economic national devel-
opment plans directs public and
private investments. Public in-
vestments are obliged to follow
it, however private ones are only
guided by it. The plans set objec-
tives for different sectors of de-
velopment. Accordingly, they are
considered as the direct cause for
the success or failure of invest-
ments’ relocation in the country
(Salheen & El Khateeb, n.d.; Am-
nesty International, 2011).
Planning, policies and governance levels in Egypt
)Source: Author based on (Salheen & El Khateeb, n.d.) revised with (Elshaarawy, 2015; Youssry, 2015

12. PLANNING OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT
In addition to the socio-econom-
ic national development plan, a
strategic urban development plan
focus on urban development ac-
cording to the building law 119 of
2008. This is considered the theo-
retical interpretation of how urban
development is planned in Egypt,
which is different from what hap-
pens in reality.
In practice, the development pro-
cess in Egypt is complex and in-
volves many actors with blurred
and duplicated roles (World Bank,
2007; Elshaarawy, 2015).
Planning, policies and governance levels in Egypt
)Source: Author based on (Salheen & El Khateeb, n.d.) revised with (Elshaarawy, 2015; Youssry, 2015

13. PLANNING OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT
This approach started in 1960s
during Nasser era, however it was
replaced with an annual plans
system during war time for twen-
ty two years. In 1982, the five
year national development plans
resumed again. (Salheen & El
Khateeb, n.d.; Youssry, 2015).
Planning, policies and governance levels in Egypt
)Source: Author based on (Salheen & El Khateeb, n.d.) revised with (Elshaarawy, 2015; Youssry, 2015

14. KEY ACTORS INFLUENCING URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Actors involved in urban planning in Egypt
)Source: Author based on (Hamilton, et al., 2012; World Bank, 2007; Hamrouni, 2013

15. KEY ACTORS INFLUENCING URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Structural relationships of key actors in urban development
Source: (Youssry, 2015) based on Building law 119/2008, Planning law 70/1973 and Local administration law 43/1979

16. YOUR REFLECTIONS?

17. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Based on discussions with dif-
ferent actors (urban activists,
government officials, planners,
academics, and community resi-
dents) through interviews and in
the organised round table event
in 2015, we can conclude:

18. The Egyptian system follows
an administrative top-down
system, where the central gov-
ernment is the main and some-
times only decision maker.
In terms of planning levels, the
administrative divisions of the
country address only national
and local levels, through the
ministries working on the cen-
tral government and the gov-
ernorates working locally. Al-
though there are departments
on the regional scale, they
don’t have a managing or gov-
erning role (Elshaarawy, 2015).
This results in a disconnection
and gap between what hap-
pens on the national and local
levels (Borham, 2012).
Levels of policy, planning, territory, administration in Egypt
Source: Author based on (Hamilton, et al., 2012; World Bank, 2007; Hamrouni, 2013; Araby, 2013; Tadamun, n.d.; Ahmed, 2015) reviewed with (Abdulaty, 2015;
)Elshaarawy, 2015
CONCLUDING REMARKS

19. CONCLUDING REMARKS
centralised and duplicated
nature of urban planning in
Egypt.
where plans and programs are
prepared twice, by the central
and local government.
This is due to the adminstra-
tive structure of the country,
where line ministries at central
levels are responsible for ser-
vices, and governorates at the
local level have a spatial re-
sponsibility. (Elshaarawy, 2015)
Levels of policy, planning, territory, administration in Egypt
Source: Author based on (Hamilton, et al., 2012; World Bank, 2007; Hamrouni, 2013; Araby, 2013; Tadamun, n.d.; Ahmed, 2015) reviewed with (Abdulaty, 2015;
)Elshaarawy, 2015

20. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Top down decision making pro-
cess that reflects and is a result
of the centralised planning pro-
cess in Egypt.
outcomes in reality are poor-
ly linked to higher tiers, which
makes a more of a one way pro-
cess not a cyclic one. Moreover,
sources of power and legitimacy
depends on political agendas and
interests.
Egypt follows a government not
a governance system, and that
the system is not connected,
every function is isolated from
the other. This demonstrates the
contested and weak urban man-
agement, and the absence of a
managing and monitoring bodies
to assess or follow up on urban
policies, plans, programs, and
projects.
Processes that determine what happens in reality iin Egypt
Source: Author based on (Ansari, 2011; Borham, 2012; Serag, 2015; Ibrahim & Singerman, 2014; Devas, 2004; Devas, 1999) reviewed with (Shaath, 2015;
)Elshaarawy, 2015; Abdulaty, 2015; Borham, 2015

21. THANK YOU :)