The vision for THE CAPITAL CAIRO is a product of the collaboration of the Egyptian Ministry of Housing and Capital City Partners Ltd, a private fund of global investors, aided by the internationally renowned design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM).
Led by Phillip Enquist, SOM Partner in Charge of Urban Design and Planning, Daniel Ringelstein, Director of Urban Design and Planning, and George J. Efstathiou, SOM Consulting Partner, SOM city planners developed the initial framework and core principles of a sustainable new city. Designed in harmony with the local environment and shaped by the natural landscape, the vision for this new city was created to specifically meet the needs of a modern city with a burgeoning economy.
Approximately 700 square kilometers in area, with 200 square kilometers of preserved natural areas and one of the largest city park systems in the world, THE CAPITAL CAIRO will be linked to historic Cairo through extensive public transit links. The city vision allows for flexibility to respond and adapt to the regional economic trends over the course of many decades.
THE CAPITAL CAIRO will relieve the congestion of Greater Cairo’s high-density population that is expected to double by 2050. The vision has been carefully planned to accommodate a growing population, from over seven million people across all income groups, when fully realized.
The unique site is defined by wadis and a unique topography, which will be preserved and enhanced for future generations. The future city will be compact in urban form and anchored by concentrated development districts, including a central business district, a government administrative district, a cultural district, a knowledge and innovation district, and over 100 diverse residential neighborhoods.
A spectrum of medium and high-density residential neighborhoods will be laid out with sensitivity to the land, with vegetated wadis embracing natural breezes for passive cooling of buildings and city places. Every neighborhood will be centered on a community public space surrounded by local shops, schools, religious buildings, and civic amenities. While these will be new in every way, the design of the neighborhoods will reflect Cairo’s traditional development patterns. Source by SOM.
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