The ever-increasing population in Egypt’s Nile valley and delta has generated a need to urbanize elsewhere- i.e. desert lands, in order to lower the density and avoid the negative consequences that have been arising as a result of this overcrowding. One of the main locations in which this strategy has been taking place is the Northwest Coast. After the public sector initiated by constructing three pilot projects that act as examples (Marakia, Marabella and Marina), the private sector has been erecting walls of more and more privatized coastal touristic villages ever since. This process is still ongoing today, quickly using up the space along the Mediterranean, leaving none for public beaches nor public parks. This leapfrogging of privatized touristic villages used for domestic tourism has resulted in urban segregation that has become unstoppable. Therefore, this research seeks to study this phenomenon, critically analyzing the reasons behind this ongoing exclusionary planning approach and the overall evolution of the coast. The case study that this research will focus on is the touristic village of Marassi. Marassi was developed by Emaar, the worldwide renowned Dubai-based developer. Emaar’s choice of Marassi’s prime location and other unique features render it a case that could be further investigated, in order to comprehend the importance of the coast and whether or not the involvement of a foreign investor such as Emaar has made this specific village more exclusionary or not than its surroundings. Also, the contrast with the context is evident and therefore comparing Marassi to Marina (the largest village by the public sector) is a prominent part of the research. This aims at explaining how Emaar has affected the success of Marassi and simultaneously, how exclusionary this new development has become. Furthermore, a general understanding of how the planning processes in the Northwest Coast have instigated exclusionary planning, leading to the current situation will also be explored. The research’s conclusions confirm that the ways in which a foreign developer such as Emaar operates is definitely the main reason why Marassi tends to stand out amongst its surrounding villages as well as ensure its survival as a more ‘exclusive trend’ even when other projects are completed further along the coast; including the completion of the Alamein New City currently under construction.
La popolazione crescente nel delta e nella valle del Nilo ha spinto a urbanizzare terre desertiche, al fine di ridurre la densità ed evitare eccessive densità e sovraffollamento. Una delle principali località in cui si è concentrata questa strategia è la costa nord-occidentale d’Egitto. Dopo che il settore pubblico ha avviato la costruzione di tre progetti pilota (Marakia, Marabella e Marina), il settore privato ha sviluppato villaggi turistici costieri sempre più isolati e privatizzati. Questo processo è ancora in corso e sta utilizzando rapidamente lo spazio lungo il Mediterraneo, senza lasciare aree destinate a spiagge pubbliche o parchi pubblici. Questo modello per villaggi turistici privatizzati per il turismo interno ha portato alla segregazione urbana che è diventata preponderante. Questa ricerca studia questo fenomeno, analizzando criticamente le ragioni di questo approccio di pianificazione esclusiva e l'evoluzione complessiva della costa. Il caso di studio su cui si concentrerà questa ricerca è il villaggio turistico di Marassi. Marassi è stato sviluppato dal noto developer Emaar di Dubai. La scelta di Emaar della posizione privilegiata di Marassi e di altre caratteristiche uniche del sito rendono il caso interessante per comprendere l'importanza della costa e il coinvolgimento di un investitore straniero come Emaar e per valutare se questo ha reso questo villaggio specifico più esclusivo o meno rispetto ad altri circostanti. Inoltre, il contrasto con il contesto è evidente e quindi il confronto tra Marassi e Marina (il più grande villaggio del settore pubblico) è una parte importante della ricerca. Questo mira a spiegare come Emaar ha influenzato il successo di Marassi e contemporaneamente programmato l'esclusione in questo villaggio. Questo sarà inquadrato come parte dei processi di pianificazione nella costa nord-occidentale e come questi abbiano di fatto indotto effetti di esclusione di vario tipo, portando alla situazione attuale. Le conclusioni della ricerca confermano che il modo in cui un developer straniero come Emaar opera è sicuramente il motivo principale per cui Marassi tende a distinguersi tra i suoi villaggi circostanti e garantire la sua profittabilità come luogo "esclusivo". L’analisi mostra come l’esclusione sia modulata tra luoghi aperti al pubblico o più isolati, nella prospettiva di sviluppo della costa e dei nuovi insediamenti di Alamein.
Exclusionary planning on Egypt's northwest coast : the case of Marassi by the Dubai-based developer Emaar
MANSY, MAHA ZAKARIA MEKAWI MOHAMED
2018/2019
Abstract
The ever-increasing population in Egypt’s Nile valley and delta has generated a need to urbanize elsewhere- i.e. desert lands, in order to lower the density and avoid the negative consequences that have been arising as a result of this overcrowding. One of the main locations in which this strategy has been taking place is the Northwest Coast. After the public sector initiated by constructing three pilot projects that act as examples (Marakia, Marabella and Marina), the private sector has been erecting walls of more and more privatized coastal touristic villages ever since. This process is still ongoing today, quickly using up the space along the Mediterranean, leaving none for public beaches nor public parks. This leapfrogging of privatized touristic villages used for domestic tourism has resulted in urban segregation that has become unstoppable. Therefore, this research seeks to study this phenomenon, critically analyzing the reasons behind this ongoing exclusionary planning approach and the overall evolution of the coast. The case study that this research will focus on is the touristic village of Marassi. Marassi was developed by Emaar, the worldwide renowned Dubai-based developer. Emaar’s choice of Marassi’s prime location and other unique features render it a case that could be further investigated, in order to comprehend the importance of the coast and whether or not the involvement of a foreign investor such as Emaar has made this specific village more exclusionary or not than its surroundings. Also, the contrast with the context is evident and therefore comparing Marassi to Marina (the largest village by the public sector) is a prominent part of the research. This aims at explaining how Emaar has affected the success of Marassi and simultaneously, how exclusionary this new development has become. Furthermore, a general understanding of how the planning processes in the Northwest Coast have instigated exclusionary planning, leading to the current situation will also be explored. The research’s conclusions confirm that the ways in which a foreign developer such as Emaar operates is definitely the main reason why Marassi tends to stand out amongst its surrounding villages as well as ensure its survival as a more ‘exclusive trend’ even when other projects are completed further along the coast; including the completion of the Alamein New City currently under construction.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/154425