It is no secret that the sprawling capital of Egypt, Greater Cairo, suffers problems that are the outcome of overburdened public utilities, infrastructure, traffic, environment, and urbanisation. A new project, “Strengthening Development, Planning and Management in Greater Cairo” looks set to address all that. The project will be implemented through the joint efforts of the General Organisation for Physical Planning (GOPP), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The agreement for the project has been signed in Cairo in a ceremony at the premises of the GOPP.
The project aims to find and implement solutions for the key challenges facing Greater Cairo. The future vision and strategic trends for Greater Cairo were thoroughly analysed in the preparation for this project, to ensure it meets the needs of the 21st century.
This initiative is geared to support the development of Greater Cairo in achieving social justice, economic competitiveness, better provision of public services in an environment-friendly manner.
Restoring the value of important major historical and heritage sites is a key objective of the project, also narrowing the gap between strategic and action plans, facilitating the implementation processes and achieving the strategic vision and urban development in Greater Cairo.
With regards to mobility, the project will strategize to develop the Bus Rapid Transit plan and promote non-Motorised transport. The skills and capacities of the GOPP employees and local development partners will be developed in the fields of participatory planning, administration and implementation to ensure the project’s sustainability beyond its duration.
Watani International
1 August 2016