Recently, I had to drive through the new city of Borg Al-Arab, an urban satellite 50 kilometres west of Alexandria, in order to connect to the northern coastal highway. It was my first exposure since 15 years to the urban condition in this new town. I was disappointedly shocked at the degree of urban dilapidation. Squatting is now a common phenomenon in most Egyptian cities — a daily occurrence on sidewalks, in squares and in streets. Buildings are in disrepair, the urban fabric is deteriorating, engulfed in chaos that is infiltrating every quarter and every corner. This virus of squatting, and the proliferation of squatting, is a nationwide phenomenon defying public order. It has been infesting Egyptian cities for decades, although it has spiralled and multiplied to unparalleled scale and complexity after the 25 January Revolution. The last three years have witnessed a multitude of crises and challenges: the increase of Egypt's population to nearly 90 million people (2:4 per cent annual growth rate), declining economy, rising unemployment (more than 15 per cent nationally; also 50 per cent in the youth group aged 15-45 years), deprivation, lawlessness, lack of security, loss of safety, mushrooming squatter development in most urban conglomerations, spread of informal housing, sprouting of thousands of illegal high-rise buildings (more than 50,000 violations nationwide), the invasion of precious fertile agricultural land illegally by urban sprawl, disintegration of social conduct, challenges to public order and the erosion of human behaviour. This is a dangerous national malignancy of grave consequences. The law-abiding citizen is now a rare commodity. Constantly abused and taken advantage of, this figure is invariably ridiculed as gullible, naïve or passive, while the schemer, the corruptible, the cunning and the devious becomes a new national norm. What a combination of national traits. This alarming phenomenon reverberates everywhere — in most localities and governorates. It threatens 7000 years of Egyptian history and traditions of civility, government, public order and discipline. Civility and urbanity are synonymous with respect for legality, order and rule of law, regardless. The primary definition of urbanity is its embodiment of order coupled with denial of chaos and disorder, a commitment to civic rules, a sense of belonging, loyalty, and adherence to, and respect of, social and communal rights. These permanent values thrive consciously in the individual and communal human rights, as Serge Chermayef has long declared in his classic work, Community and Privacy. Earlier, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) in his Mukqaddimah, Plato in The Republic, and Aristotle in his teachings nearly 2500 years ago, reasserted profoundly these values and meanings. The multiple manifestations of squatting as a habitual national custom have infected and infiltrated Egyptian public life for decades. It began its proliferation after the defeat of the 1967 war, which was accompanied with the forced population evacuation and subsequent migration from the Suez Canal Zone cities to inland major urban conglomerations. It has spiralled in tangible and intangible manifestations since then, with the inability of the central and local governments to provide adequate housing or services for the migrants' resettlement. Though illegal, squatting was allowed to spread with the benign neglect and detachment of most central and local governments, prioritising spending on defensive and liberation efforts in the Suez Canal Zone. This era also witnessed the spread of the casual mood and attitude, and popular movement to challenge governmental authority by the youth revolution in France, together with the civil rights movement in the US in the late 1960s. Though casualness is now a global phenomenon reflected in peoples' clothes, conduct and performance, in Egypt it has resulted in anti-government, anti-authority defiance, apathy, detachment, resistance to order and chaotic behaviour. It has thus become a national phenomenon involving the challenge to and defiance of public establishments and institutions, coupled with the meanings they signify: a disrespect of the rule of law (which could be unethical or immoral), disobedience in face of public rules, refusal of regulations and denial of traditions. Since then, this phenomenon of challenging government has spread globally to developed and developing regions alike. The current wave of popular unrest and demonstrations is now fashionable, threatening governments worldwide! Authorities that have long assumed the role of the father figure, the protector, the provider, the just and the model to follow; however, in actual practice, proved to be unjust, biased, haughty, transcendent, corrupt and irresponsible. Casualness implied “non-conformist” in attitude and conduct, in dress, in word and in deed, and implied defiance of order, disrespect of law, neglect of regulations and avoidance of all rules, since the ruler does not properly rule, the government does not correctly govern, the provider does not give, and the public servant refuses to work or serve conscientiously and fairly all the people with honesty and transparency. The Chinese philosopher Lao-tse advised 2600 years ago: “Claim wealth and titles, and disasters will follow.” The customary infiltration of squatting has infested Egyptian public life and urban conglomerations, old and new, in many fashions and forms or conduct. Manifestations are too many to recount, but examples include: — Squatters' communities represent dangerous national challenges; they are mushrooming in urban and rural areas cancerously without control, defying law and order, undermining the basic meanings and essence of urbanity, civility and humanity (nearly 1330 such communities nationwide). This alarming crisis is explosive, for squatters' settlements have become a volatile, breeding environments for crime, violence, insecurity, drugs, disorder, illiteracy, immorality and disease. They are an affront to society, communality and urbanity, environmentally, socially, physically, culturally and politically. They amount now to nearly 30 per cent of the fabric of major cities, 20 per cent of new towns, and are sheltering a staggering 35 per cent of the total population. These sprawling squatter communities have invaded more than 50,000 acres of valuable, fertile agricultural land, which is hardly replaceable, in flagrant defiance of the law prohibiting and incriminating such squatting practices. — The speedy construction of illegal 20-story high rise (60 metre plus) apartment blocks in major cities after the 25 January Revolution is in public defiance and violation of building laws, which set the maximum height at 36 metres, provided it is within 1.5 times the street width. This illegal construction of nearly 50,000 towers is tantamount to malignant tumours of high population density, which jam traffic flows and burden services and utilities beyond their limited capacities. In addition, they represent eyesores of visual and physical urban pollution, incongruent with urban form, character and harmony. This is a blatant form of urban vertical squatting compounded by sprawling horizontal squats. — After the revolution, the infectious infiltration of venders squatting and invading sidewalks, squares, streets, public parks and public land have become a daily occurrence, forcing pedestrians to walk in the streets and to mingle chaotically with cars. — This de facto invasion of sidewalks has been also customary for years before the revolution. The common use of sidewalks by shop owners, cafeterias, coffee shops, repair shops, and garages has become a familiar scene, compounded by their habitual occupation by parked cars, by vendors and rural women selling their produce, or even reserved illegally by dwellers for their own private use. This congestion is multiplied by unruly car owners who park their cars illegally in two and three rows on street lanes, especially in city centres and near shopping malls, thus causing traffic snarls and strangling jams. — Squatting also blossomed in Tahrir Square since the 25 January Revolution, with demonstrators occupying the square and other squares nationwide for long periods. This revolutionary custom inspired other forms of protest by civil servants, industrial workers, labour unions and syndicates, students, and others, including sit-ins in front of Rabaa Al-Adaweya mosque and Al-Nahda Square by the Muslim Brotherhood after the 30 June Revolution. — A common form of squatting is in using buildings' stairwells as illegal factories, stores or shops; or in converting apartments into offices, private clinics, or other commercial and business activities, in defiance of planning, building and housing laws. — The building of illegal annexes to dwelling units in public housing projects, the enclosing of balconies, adding new floors or additions to old buildings regardless of style, form or visual vocabulary, are examples of squatting illegally in existing buildings, sites or public spaces. — The building of shelters or shacks on rooftops is equivalent to toleration of eyesores, for they mar skylines, blight architectural entities and defy building laws, amounting to intolerable visual pollution. It is evidently clear that squatting, whether tangible, intangible or virtual in all its forms and practices, as a habitual national custom, is truly deplorable and utterly condemnable. It has become alarmingly a national phenomenon; an epidemic threatening public order, legal frameworks and national pride in the heritage of civility legality, governability and meanings of urbanity. The culprits are lawbreakers, government ministries and municipalities who violate regulations or refuse to play their obligatory roles. Law enforcement is mandatory for all, to be observed and respected by the formal and informal sectors, by public and private parties. There is no alternative, no exemption. The government should provide housing for the needy at the rate of not less than 10 units/1000 population annually. Squatting developments must be arrested and phased out gradually in a comprehensive national campaign. Cosmetic uplifting of squats is useless. Brave and far-reaching development strategies, policies and projects must be implemented without delay. Creative urban and environmental planning projects must be adopted and enforced that are comprehensive, multifaceted and inclusive, with participation and involvement of the private sector and the citizenry. There is no alternative to the strict implementation of planning, housing and building laws, with prohibitive penalties on all violators, regardless, coupled with public acquisition of illegally built new constructions. Public education, schools, universities, civic societies, the media and all information channels must be mobilised in order to achieve the goal of raising public awareness and commitment. The road to recovery and revival is long, trying and costly, but must be travelled sooner rather than later, before the crisis turns into catastrophe. The challenges are enormous but the benefits in confronting them and reshaping the future are indeed much greater and gratifying environmentally, socially, economically, culturally and politically. There is no option except to thrust forward towards more promising and rewarding horizons waiting ahead. The writer is professor of planning at the University of Alexandria.
