The North Western Coastal region represents a development
corridor with a high potential to absorb future population in Egypt. The region
represents one of the priority mega development projects the Egyptian
Government has decided to develop along the Northern Coast of Egypt to
accommodate 34 millions of inhabitants during the coming decades. Furthermore,
the Government has identified Ras El Hekma Bay to be developed as a sustainable
green touristic City. The City should be developed as part of an integrated
region, including the Western North Coast up to South of El Qattara. It should
represent the evolution of the current communities located in the bay and
also as in integrated community with AL Alamein new city.
Moreover, the urban development of the City and the main
functions and activities will be guided by the experience gained in similar developments,
building on successes and avoiding previous gaps. It should be emphasized that
the City is designed to attract inhabitants from within the existing
communities, the region and the country in general. Economic activities
identified are intended to be self-sustaining and enabling the City to
represent an economic powerhouse to support the economic development of the
country, thus attracting lead and international investors.
Nevertheless, numbers of challenges are hindering sustainable
new urban communities development, for instance creating incentives for people
to move to the new settlement should not rely only on providing economic
opportunities, but also on securing quality of life as well as social
inclusiveness and adequate living standards. Besides, the integral requested
integration of the new city with the surrounding area promoting good governance
and management of the development, in the light of regional development
strategies. With the consideration of the new proposed national regional map,
where Ras el Hekma could play an important role as a supporting city for Al
Alamein new city which is supposed to be the capital of a new Governorate in
the near future.
The Project will tackle the multi-dimensional context of
NUC's urban planning and management and the challenges faced in the sustainable
development. In the project proposed second phase, a pilot intervention will be
implemented in an integrated manner with ASUD findings as a national programme
through which key stakeholders and development partners will work and learn as
one community of practice, where will focus secure detailed plan for the First
Phase of the RAWC developments. The main purpose is to provide a model that may
be replicated and applied in other locations with similar socioeconomic and
environmental conditions. The model the project aims to develop will ensure the
adoption of an integrated approach in order to guarantee achieving economic,
social and environmental considerations in a balanced and complementary manner.
The project hence will insure the rapid urbanization process of NUC development
is achieved in a controlled and sustainable manner, and that the expected
socio-economic benefits deriving from this process translate into an equitable
and efficient urban settlement pattern. It therefore will contribute to
sustainable urbanization in Egypt through well-conceived and appropriately
placed action on the ground complementing and coordinating efforts with the
other development partners in the urban sector.
