Relocation and the Use of Urban Space in Cairo

The reconstruction of planned urban spaces in Cairo, Egypt, by poor families relocated to those public housing projects is described. In accordance with state design, such public housing units promoted a nuclear vs extended family, redefined relations in the household, decreased interactions with ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Middle East report (New York, N.Y. 1988) N.Y. 1988), 1996-01, Vol.27 (202), p.17-20
Main Author: Ghannam, Farha
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bedrooms
Cairo, Egypt
Economic rent
Environmental Design
Housing
Housing units
International development
Irish culture
Neighborhoods
Public Housing
Public land
Relocation
Social Space
Spatial Behavior
Urban Poverty
Urban space
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Summary:The reconstruction of planned urban spaces in Cairo, Egypt, by poor families relocated to those public housing projects is described. In accordance with state design, such public housing units promoted a nuclear vs extended family, redefined relations in the household, decreased interactions with neighbors, & increased separation between private & public spheres (eg, the workplace). These attempts at social reengineering have been rejected, & instead, housing units have been physically reconfigured, & neighbors have cooperated on sharing spaces even as the state tries to penalize them. In the negotiation of family needs, shared spaces, & state policies, women have played a central role. The case study of a family's experience in public housing in al-Zawiya al-Hamra in northern Cairo is presented. 2 Photographs. M. Pflum
ISSN:0899-2851
DOI:10.2307/3013034