Reclaiming Public Spaces
Article in OZ Journal
The modes of production of urban spaces today have shifted from being initiated by institutional and formal production entities and has been transferred into the hands of the community. This change is widely represented in pocket urban spaces that have developed in inner cities and under bridges, overpasses, and highways.
Hussien Al-Mimar Street
Conference- TU Delft, Netherlands
In her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jacobs identified four urban preconditions for creating streets as active public spaces: high densities of population and activities; mixtures of primary uses; pedestrian-friendly blocks and the retention of old buildings mixed in with new. A fifth element however, ought to be considered, “accessibility control”.
Private initiatives versus state interventions
Chapter in Book- Springer
A walk through Downtown Cairo is a unique experience any urban planner and architect would appreciate. It is a district from the 19th century that was dramatically transformed from an elite neighbourhood into a chaotic district overrun by street vendors and busy traffic within its streets.
Cinema Radio in Downtown Cairo
Conference (not published)-London Centre for Interdisciplinary Research
One of the places that trigger the collective memory in Downtown Cairo is Cinema Radio. An emblematic building which became a reminiscence medium for three generations since the 1940s, and recently played a unique role in changing the path of the political scene in Egypt after the uprising in 2011.