Civil Engineering and Architecture Vol. 11(3), pp. 1538 - 1557
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110334
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Linking Cities to Rivers in Theory and Practice: The Case of Egyptian River Cities

Mohamed H. Abo-hashem ^*, Aboulfetouh S. Shalaby , Sameh Abd A. El Alaily
Department of Urban Design, Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

ABSTRACT

The linkage of cities and rivers is a historic phenomenon that persists to this day. Urbanization historically began to appear on river sides and evolved along with the development of cities. The connection is represented in the linkage of the fabric of urbanism, and people, to rivers. There exists a global interest in the linkage of cities with rivers. In an interest to achieve ecological goals and communal, cultural, and economical conservation, processes have risen that value the connection of cities to rivers. The most notable of these global interests are greenways that have been implemented in multiple nations. They have become a global movement as a planning and designing tool that attains an established organizational, well-funded, and legalized structure that also strives for global inclusion in sustainable development, under which falls the linkage of cities with rivers. The Egyptian case, unfortunately, neglects river cities, despite the origination of the phenomenon in the country thousands of years ago, despite what the nation attains in cultural and natural heritage, and the fact that Egyptian river cities comprise 70% of Egyptian cities. We find that local studies that have covered river cities did not go beyond theoretical analysis, which presents a difficulty in execution due to shortcomings in planning processes, thus, this study takes steps to ensure ease of practical implementation. The study focuses on the city of Cairo as an exemplar of Egyptian riverside cities as a whole. This was done due to the extensive history the city attains of the relationship between urbanization, people, and the river. The current situation was monitored, and institutional and urban problems that contributed to the separation of Egyptian cities from the river were identified. Analysis of a group of global experiments in greenways based on: (i) The planning process. (ii) The basis and criteria of design. (iii) Organizational structures. The study aims to learn from previous successes to reform the processes responsible for the development of Egyptian river cities. Results have been reached that shape a complete and effective integrated framework has been developed to link the city with the river at the local level that can be applied to the Egyptian case, and in turn, emphasizes the role of landscape planning and design in reconnecting the city with the river.

KEYWORDS
Urban Process, Urban Development, Greenways, Urban Rivers, Urban Planning, Landscape, Sustainable Development

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Mohamed H. Abo-hashem , Aboulfetouh S. Shalaby , Sameh Abd A. El Alaily , "Linking Cities to Rivers in Theory and Practice: The Case of Egyptian River Cities," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 1538 - 1557, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110334.

(b). APA Format:
Mohamed H. Abo-hashem , Aboulfetouh S. Shalaby , Sameh Abd A. El Alaily (2023). Linking Cities to Rivers in Theory and Practice: The Case of Egyptian River Cities. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 11(3), 1538 - 1557. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110334.