Downtown Cairo, home to the famed Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum and the birthplace of Egypt's belle epoque architectural heritage, is significant both as a living, economic engine as well as an indelible part of Egyptians' image of their capital. In an effort to reverse the impact of two centuries of urban development policy that sought economic growth at the expense of urban quality of life, the Government of Egypt intends to redevelop the Downtown district into a livable, inclusive, and thriving heart of the Cairo metropolis. Though rehabilitation efforts over the past decade have stalled despite a number of urban plans and the formal declaration of the district as an "urban protectorate" under Egyptian law, the government has partnered with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to refocus efforts toward a workable urban strategy.
The alleys of Downtown Cairo are laboratories for urban renewal, regeneration, and sustainable growth. These "lifelines" bear witness not only to past eras but to the city's future. Photo © OHK Consultants
The Bank has retained OHK Consultants as an advisor for a one year engagement in which OHK will facilitate a national policy dialogue to promote improved sustainability, more inclusive urban planning, expanded heritage conservation, and robust standards for the build environment. As a key catalyst for the redevelopment process, OHK will conduct a comprehensive review of several decades-worth of urban plans and studies from both public and private stakeholders, advising the Bank, the Government of Egypt, and Cairo Governorate on how to mobilize past efforts while addressing contemporary challenges to implementation.
OHK has partnered with e7 Energie Markt Analyse, a European leader in building energy and resource efficiency, and Tillner & Willinger, the award-winning architects of Vienna's urban rehabilitation, to implement a conservation program focusing on Downtown Cairo's architectural heritage and urban fabric. OHK brings to the engagement more than two decades of experience in the revitalization of historic urban cores in Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, and will be leading a team of over twenty experts from Egypt, Austria, and OHK's offices in San Francisco and Cairo.