Urban renewal in the al-Darb al-Ahmar District of the Cairo - Essay Example

?Urban Renewal in the al-Darb Al-Ahmar District of Cairo Introduction The al-Darb Al-Ahmar (2005) is an area in Cairo that is historical in nature. The area has been around since at least the medieval times, as the walls of the city of Fatimid were expanded during this time to encompass the area. Since then, the neighborhood has been declining. The residents are sometimes struggling economically, although the socioeconomic status of the residents is not as dire as in other struggling areas. The homes are falling in disrepair, and the monuments are being encroached by blight. However, this area is ripe for revitalization, as the residences of the area are committed to living there, and are willing to commit time and resources to make it happen. This paper will describe the history of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area, as well as detail the reasons why it is ripe for revitalization, and the steps that are being taken to accomplish this. Brief Historical Analysis The history of al-Darb Al-Ahmar, according to Rashidi (2005), was that it was a settlement that was located just outside the walled city of Fatimid, which was the palace-city inside the city of Cairo, Egypt. The neighborhood was originally a cemetery, and, after the exodus of the population within the walled city after periods of drought and famine in the 11th Century, has brought people outside the walls of the precinct. This expanded the walls of the Fatimid to encompass other urban developed areas, and the al-Darb Al-Ahmar became one of the first areas that were a part of this urban expansion. The Citadel, within the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area, became the seat of power, which helped shape the urban development of the area, according to Rashidi (2005). The eastern city wall, which extended past the Citadel, formed the outer edge of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar, and the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area became an important area for the functioning of the city of Cairo. Because the Citadel remained the seat of power, the al-Darb area became a prestigious area, and became the centre of the economic and political life during the Mamluk period (Rashidi, 2005). The city is very historical, as many of the buildings which are institutional in nature have been present since the medieval era. The residential buildings, however, from that era have long since been torn down to make way for palaces and mosques. The institutional buildings have been supported by endowments, especially the religious buildings, and these buildings still stand. Religious buildings are not the only institutional buildings that have remained, as a hospital built around 1420, which is in the Citadel area, still remains, through endowments by the civic court institutions (Rashidi, 2005). In the modern day, there have been mixed attempts to preserve the area of the al-Darb, according to Rashidi (2005). The historic buildings have been preserved by the Comite de Conservation des Monuments de l’Art Arabe, which is an organization that has been dedicated to preserving the historical monuments of the area. Specifically, these historical monuments were being encroached by the derelict properties that surrounded these monuments. However, the plan to get rid of these encroachments, so that the monuments were free-standing went too far, according to Rashidi (2005), in that all of these buildings were demolished, which damaged the urban fabric. Moreover, the planners, through the years, although well-intentioned, also helped to undermine the urban area, as they did not take into account that entire areas of the neighborhood should be considered to be historic. This resulted in such actions as widening the streets, without regard to social and urban consequences of doing so, and this made the urban fabric of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar decay. The al-Darb Al-Ahmar Project The al-Darb Al-Ahmar project came about, according to The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (2005), because the neighborhood was decaying. The refuse was piling up in alleyways, and landlords did not care for their properties. Yet, the neighborhood is one of the most populace in Cairo, so there were many people who were living in such squalor. Family life and the quality of life was very low in this area. Historical monuments were also in a state of decay. What the project was conceptualized as, according to the Aga Khan Trust (2005), was that the rubble dump would be transformed into a park, which would, in turn, have a positive effect on the entire neighborhood. Moreover, there was also a plan to restore the historical monuments, and landmark buildings, with the overall aim of restoring the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood. The planning and training for this project was composed of a team of developers which consisted of neighborhood reps, business owners, and the people who lived and worked in that area. By 2004, more than EGP 25 million had been spent on the project, and this project included socioeconomic rehabilitation, housing projects, and landmark restoration. According to the Cairo Area Programme, the reason why the area is deteriorating is due to a multitude of factors. One of the factors is the fact that the area has declined in social status since the early twentieth century. This was because the local bourgeoisie fled this neighborhood in the early twentieth century, in favor of newer urban districts. This was compounded by the fact that there was no effective urban management, therefore the problems that arose were not dealt with properly. Moreover, there was not enough public funding to improve the infrastructure, services and social facilities. It also suffered from a dearth of private investments. This was all exacerbated by urban planning in 1973, that called for highways to penetrate the area, which would mean that significant parts of the urban fabric would be destroyed. Urban Rehabilitation in the al-Darb Al-Ahmar Neighborhood The Dar al-Amar Revitilization Project (ADAARP) was the brainchild of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which has spearheaded the ADAARP effort with its partners (Cairo Area Programme). According to the Cairo Area Programme, the effort has the objective of bringing long-lasting improvements to the socio-economic living conditions and status of the al-Darb residents and the community. The plans are to develop physical assets, as well as increase the socio-economic status of the residents, and these are the two parts that work hand in hand. These are the twin goals for the project. The way that the project is funded is through public and private investments. The project also has proceeded by making changes that are small, while increasing the capital available to the area. The ADAARP does not need rigid blueprints for the area, but is, rather, committed to a flexible framework. This framework was something that would be confirmed on a continuous basis, and tweaked as feedback came in from the field. This means that the project is working from the bottom up, as opposed to the top-down. The project started with the physical restoration of the monuments, then proceeded towards a more comprehensive project, where the overall goal was for urban conservation of the area. The ADAARP has been successful, as it took some time to plan – it reviewed the area, and the organization took the time to understand the area’s needs. It took the time to get to know the stakeholders in the area, and the needs of the residents. It also built trust and partnerships by carrying out pilot socio-economic and physical initiatives. As it had different successes, this encouraged others to join the project, which means that the successes built upon one another (Cairo Area Programme). The area is also ripe for revitalization, and the stage is set for this successful revitalization, because of the residents of the neighborhood itself. These residents, according to Siravo (2005), are, while not necessarily prosperous, at least gainfully employed, and the average resident has lived in the area for over 30 years. Because of these two factors – the fact that the residents are, by and large, long-term residents, and the fact that these residents do have some degree of disposable income – the residents themselves are willing to invest to make the area great again. These residents, according to Siravo (2005) live there because they want to live there, not because they have to. They are close to family and mosques, and they have the support of their neighbors, and these are factors that make the residents want to remain there. So, they have a major stake in the rehabilitation of the area, and are willing to commit time and resources to make it happen. Siravo (2005) states that there have been a number of targets for the planners who are redeveloping these areas. One of the targets has been to increase the socio-economic status of the residents. To this end, the goal is not necessarily to develop new jobs, but to put the people in touch with the existing jobs that are available. This involved a job placement agency and a counselling service, both of which were set up in the Project’s neighborhood office. This also created opportunities for young people to acquire on-the-job experience, which, in turn, has helped these young people advance in their chosen careers. There were agreements made that the employers in the area would train these young people, and this has also led to long-term career prospects for many of these younger people. There was also training made available by the project, so that individuals can be trained in such fields as crafts and skills that would help these people in gaining the skills that they need to help to restore the monuments and such. The restoration of the monuments employed local labor, so the training in craftsmanship and other kinds of professions that help in monument restoration is crucial. Investment in community organizations was another goal of the restoration project, according to Siravo (2005). As part of this, there was an on-going educational programs whereby the people of the neighborhood were made aware of their cultural traditions. Moreover, two organizations were created, the Dar al-Ahmar Business Association, and the Family Health Development Centre, that delivered services to the community through the health and business sectors. They have also partnered with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) that provided resources for local planning development and helped to raise community awareness. The Community Development Agency was also formed, and this has the purpose of bringing resources into different distressed parts of the neighborhood, while identifying problems and priorities for the area. Siravo (2005) further identifies the physical planning requirements of the district, and gearing resources towards these requirements as another step in the revitalization process. The planning and building process is supported, so that the district and the historic part of the area are treated differently than the fabric of the city. What this means is that, in contrast to the conservation of the city, the revitalization of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area has finer grain planning and surveying, and the context of the building activities were closely attended to and monitored. The al-Darb Al-Ahmar Area was eventually declared to be a conservation area that was subjected to special planning provisions and establishing a task force that was dedicated to urban planning this area. This increased confidence that there would be a public commitment to revitalization of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area. Rehabilitation of the residences was another aspect of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar revitalization area, according to Siravo (2005). Rehabilitation of residences was given priority by the al-Darb Al-Ahmar planners, because it was important to keep the residents in the area. If the residents were not revitalized, then the people of the area might flee to other parts of Cairo, and this would mean that the community and the social fabric would be seriously compromised. To this end, the al-Darb Al-Ahmar revitalization project gave priority to rehabilitating residences, and the residents themselves were willing to bear the costs of rehabilitation – they want to live in the area. Therefore, the 2002 pilot rehabilitation project was launched with the target of revitalizing fifty residential buildings. The rehabilitation projects were complemented with the target of building new homes in the vacant lands in the area. One of these projects was in the area north of the al-Mahruq Tower, where there was a mix of residences and commercial buildings constructed in the area. The improvement of public spaces is another integral part of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar revitalization effort, according to Siravo (2005). The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) carried out a detailed survey about this, in an effort to find out what uses can be discontinued, which should be maintained, and which should be improved. The public spaces were a target for this, as well as the commercial districts and the small neighborhood squares. The improvement of the commercial districts consists of space planning, that helps to accommodate different activities, as well as facades and store fronts. The public square revitalization is focused around reorganizing and space planning. The improvement in the small neighborhood squares focuses upon revitalizing the tombs and mosques in these areas, a swell as improving open space in these areas. One of the public spaces that is set to be rehabilitated, according to Bianca (2005), is the Azhar Park in the Darassa Hills. Bianca (2005) states that this rehabilitation is important, because it was a dumping ground, now it is an attraction, and it may also help to lure tourists. Hampkian (2005) states that the Azhar Park will act as a border to Fatimid Cairo. This, in conjunction with another project that has uncovered the Fatimid walls remains, will define Fatimid Cairo's core and historic part of the city. Moreover, just north of Azhar Park, near the Salah Salem Street tunnel will be an Urban Plaza which will mark the opening from Saleh Salem Street. Jodido (2005) shows why the rehabilitation of the park is so important to the residents and tourists – it provides a view of the city of Cairo that rivals that of the Citadel, and also provides a view of the unearthed remnants of the Ayyubid city wall, which was restored by the AKTC. Visitors to the park are also able to see the mosque and madrasa built for Sultan Hasan bin Mohammad bin Qalawun in 1356, according to Hampkian (2005). Another prong of the al-Darb Al-Ahmar area rehabilitation, according to Siravo (2005), is that the monuments and the historic buildings were rehabilitated or put to another use. The Khraybeck Complex was one of these buildings that was restored through the project. The AKTC plans to put this building to re-use and to re-establish the urban value of this complex. The complex eventually is to be a place where people of the neighborhood may gather, and where recreational and cultural events may take place. The Umm al-Sultan Shaaban Mosque is another target for revitalization. The revitalization on this project is consisting of reconstructing missing sections of the minaret, and restoring the southern and western facades, and rehabilitation of the madrasa. The madrasa will then be put to re-use by turning this into a place where people can form literacy groups, and there can also be programmes to help employment, as well as social and economic development programmes. Meeting rooms, offices and classrooms can fill the interior, and the rear courtyard can be used for community events. The Shoughlan Street School is another area. This building, which has been restored, will accommodate visitors, as well as accommodate educational services and community services. Conclusion The al-Darb Al-Ahmar is an area outside of Cairo that is ripe for revitalization efforts. The residents there, although not exactly wealthy, are not exactly poor, either, and the majority of them love living in this area and do not plan to leave. This is important for this or any other kind of neighborhood revitalization effort, as the passion and commitment of the residents of the district are what makes these efforts successful. They are not only willing to commit resources, but they are also willing to commit time in meeting with the urban planners who are committed to his project. Since the residents are on board for this project, it has a great chance of success. The project is focused around rehabilitating the residences, as many of these residences are dilapidated. Moreover, improving the socio-economic status of the area is another focal point, and this has the added bonus, in that many of the residences are training in areas that will help in restoring the monuments, such as training in masonry and carpentry. The monument restoration can then use the local people’s labor, which means that the local people win by getting a job, and the project organizers win by getting labor for their restoration efforts. After the monuments and historical landmarks are restored, they are to put to different uses that involve community meeting places, educational resource meeting spots, and the like. Rehabilitation public spaces is another important aspect. The overall project will bring vibrancy to an area that is in disrepair, and, because the project is focused upon an area with great historical importance, will help bring tourists to Cairo as well. Read More