Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif instructed the Ministry of Housing represented by the General Organization for Physical Planning (GOPP) to formulate a comprehensive plan to develop downtown Cairo within three months. A limited competition will be held to select an international office that will collaborate with the Egyptian office in drawing up the plan. The project coincides with a draft law to redesign the Egyptian capital, whereby the geographical scope of the capital will be delineated. The agreed upon plan aims to fully redesign downtown Cairo, also known as Khedivial Cairo, said Mustapha el-Madbouli, president of the GOPP. Eight international offices have been selected to present the best proposal for the initial planning stage, which will be completed within three months, he said. The comprehensive plan for the area will primarily consist of converting many downtown streets into pedestrian areas, which will include open areas and restaurants for pedestrians to enjoy the beauty of the historical buildings. Each street will have shops and stores displaying a specific type of product, such as fashion, dress and travel companies. Shops will be transferred depending on the nature of the area, said el-Madbouli. An additional suggestion seeks to redesign the main squares in the area by constructing multi-story parking garages beneath them, to eliminate on street parking. Electric vehicles could potentially shuttle people through the streets and transform the area into a true tourist zone, he added.
The plan conforms to the Khedivial Cairo project undertaken by the Cairo governorate in cooperation with the Cultural Coordination Authority and the Arab Contractors Company to restore the luster of historic buildings in the city center. Prime Minister Nazif specifically asked that the initial planning be concluded within three months. An agreement has been reached to establish a ministerial committee from the Ministries of Housing, Utilities, and Local Development, Culture, State for Administrative Development, and State for Legal and Parliamentary Councils. The committee will also include the Cabinet Secretariat and prominent public figures. The committee will draft a new bill that will establish the boundaries of the capital. The prime minister asked the concerned ministers to determine the scope of the project and to start preparing a draft law to be presented to the political leadership over the coming period for approval. The law will be implemented as soon as possible, added el-Madbouli. There are three models of world capitals, he said. The Washington, DC model is not viable in Egypt, as the city is completely independent, as if it were its own country. The second model provides the city with broad power, a different management style and some flexibility in creating organizational structures and choosing leaders. The third model includes the capital within a greater region, like London has done. He proposes having a supreme council for the capital headed by the prime minister and composed of concerned ministers. The proposed council will have an independent budget. The parties have agreed in principle that the scope of the capital will possibly include Cairo, Giza and other undetermined areas, said el-Madbouli, adding that there is wide approval among the public and planning experts. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
