The place Have All of the Inexperienced Areas in Egypt Gone?

Because the nation’s inhabitants continues to enhance, notably in its main metropolitan areas, the demand for accessible out of doors retreats has turn out to be more and more obvious.

Traditionally, city planning in Egypt has usually prioritized infrastructure growth, business development, and unique inexperienced areas, steadily overlooking public leisure areas. 

This imbalance has resulted in a panorama dominated by towering buildings, congested streets, and a relative scarcity of inexperienced areas the place residents can escape the hustle and bustle of day by day life.

For instance, Al-Azhar Park, a sprawling 74-acre oasis within the coronary heart of Cairo and close to the Metropolis of the Useless, stands as a testomony to the transformative energy of city inexperienced areas. 

Opened in 2005, the park has turn out to be a beloved vacation spot for locals and vacationers alike, providing a serene escapism from the town’s relentless tempo.

A few of the different well-known public parks in Egypt additionally embrace the Al-Orman Backyard, the Aquarium Grotto Backyard, and Umm Kulthum Park, though these are additionally primarily concentrated in Cairo. 

But, as spectacular as Al-Azhar Park and different parks could also be, they continue to be exceptions in Egypt’s city panorama. There’s a want for extra public parks in different components of Egypt in accordance with a 2022 analysis performed by Professors Merham M. Keleg and Mohamed A. Salheen. 

The analysis emphasizes that inexperienced areas considerably influence the well being and well-being of residents. Furthermore, these areas play a vital function in shaping the town’s total picture and enhancing walkability, finally attracting extra guests and vacationers within the long-run.

Past Cairo

Throughout the nation, public parks are sometimes scarce, leaving many voters with out entry to the bodily and psychological well being advantages that include spending time in nature. 

This shortage results in the transfer of privatization and their transformation of as soon as a public inexperienced area to native outlets and eating places. 

In an interview with a number of advocates in opposition to tree chopping, a yearly apply performed by the Egyptian authorities with the goals of street developments and infrastructure expansions, Al Ahram studies on the gradual erasure of greenery. 

”Different inexperienced areas within the metropolis have additionally been diminished. As soon as spanning over 50 acres, these areas have been considerably lowered to accommodate espresso outlets, eating places, and income-generating actions, remodeling what have been as soon as free leisure areas for households and youngsters into business zones,” studies Al Ahram.

The dearth of public parks in Egypt isn’t just a matter of aesthetics; it has far-reaching penalties for the general well-being of the nation’s residents. 

A 2017 examine by the Nationwide Middle for Biotechnology Data proved that entry to inexperienced areas can have a constructive influence on bodily and psychological well being, decreasing stress, enhancing air high quality, and fostering social cohesion.

Development Over Greenery

Recognizing the pressing want to deal with this imbalance, some native authorities have taken steps to revitalize and increase Egypt’s public park system. Lately, the federal government has launched initiatives to revive present parks, create new sustainable inexperienced areas, and promote the significance of out of doors recreation.

Nonetheless, these efforts stay inadequate to fulfill the rising demand for public inexperienced areas throughout Egypt. This demand notably surged after the removing of roughly 2,500 bushes in Cairo’s japanese Heliopolis between 2019 and 2020, pushed by bridge-building initiatives. 

Choucri Asmar, chair of the Heliopolis Heritage Basis board, highlighted to Media Line, in July 2024, that the main target of city planning seems to prioritize the development of highways resulting in the New Administrative Capital, together with the event of round a dozen new bridges in Heliopolis.

This shift in focus raises considerations concerning the accessibility and upkeep of present public areas. 

Moreover, varied parks in Egypt cost entrance charges, which may pose a barrier for residents looking for accessible inexperienced areas. For instance, the canine park in Heliopolis expenses EGP 20 (USD 0.41) per particular person, whereas Al-Azhar Park has an entry price of EGP 50 (USD 1) on Fridays and 40 (USD 0.82) EGP on weekdays. These prices can discourage common visits, particularly for households or people on tight budgets who might prioritize different bills.

As city growth continues to development towards gated communities, which regularly function their very own personal inexperienced areas, prioritizing the enhancement of  public parks appears to dwindle. Residents of those communities might really feel much less inclined to advocate for the advance of public parks, as they’ve instant entry to greenery inside their very own neighborhoods. 

With fewer efforts directed in direction of making the town itself greener, the potential for inclusive public areas diminishes. Consequently, the general high quality of life for city residents suffers, as alternatives for out of doors recreation, social interplay, and neighborhood bonding turn out to be more and more confined to privately owned areas.