Understanding Cairo: The Logic of a City Out of Control

David Sims

ISBN 10: 9774164040 / ISBN 13: 9789774164040

Published by The American University in Cairo Press, 2011

About this Item

Trying to make sense of the urban giant that is CairoThis book moves beyond superficial generalizations about Cairo as a chaotic metropolis in the developing world into an analysis of the ways the city's eighteen million inhabitants have, in the face of a largely neglectful government, built and shaped their own city. Using a wealth of recent studies on Greater Cairo and a deep reading of informal urban processes, the city and its recent history are portrayed and mapped: the huge, spontaneous neighborhoods; housing; traffic and transport; city government; and its people and their enterprises. The failed attempts of the State to create the new, modern Egypt in the deserts surrounding Cairo and their unintended consequences as a colossal speculative frontier are given a special focus. The book argues that understanding a city such as Cairo is not a daunting task as long as pre-conceived notions are discarded and care is taken to apprehend available information and to assess it with a critical eye. In the 816 9.3,"unit":"INCHES"},{"value":1.2,"unit":"INCHES"},{"value":6.2,"unit":"INCHES"}].

Seller Inventory # 41864741355556

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Understanding Cairo: The Logic of a City Out of Control
• Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9774164040
• ISBN 13: 9789774164040
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very good

About this title

Synopsis

This book moves beyond superficial generalizations about Cairo as a chaotic metropolis in the developing world into an analysis of the ways the city s eighteen million inhabitants have, in the face of a largely neglectful government, built and shaped their own city. Using a wealth of recent studies on Greater Cairo and a deep reading of informal urban processes, the city and its recent history are portrayed and mapped: the huge, spontaneous neighborhoods; housing; traffic and transport; city government; and its people and their enterprises. The book argues that understanding a city such as Cairo is not a daunting task as long as pre-conceived notions are discarded and care is taken to apprehend available information and to assess it with a critical eye. In the case of Cairo, this approach leads to a conclusion that the city can be considered a kind of success story, in spite of everything.

About the Authors

David Sims is an American economist and urban planner who has led a number of studies about Cairo s urban development and housing.


David Sims is an American economist and urban planner who has led a number of studies about Cairo's urban development and housing. He has worked as a consultant in many Arab, African, and Asian countries, as well as in Egypt. He has been based in Cairo since 1974.