The interdisciplinary research project “Ezbet Project” in Cairo has received an Honorary Mention from the Social Environmental Economic Design (SEED) + designbuildXchange + Live Projects Network Awards 2017 for its intervention “Street Upgrading – Physical Intervention Based on Participatory Need Assessment: (PNA)” on 26 January 2017.

 Jury Comments:  “An excellent example of careful academic research and participatory expertise being applied to initiate positive change in the complex urban context of an informal area of Cairo where poverty and a lack of infrastructure have such a negative impact on the lives, health and economic prospects of local people. A participatory approach was taken to assess the needs and harness the capacity of the community before strategies were decided and action taken. This included participatory strategies being used to connect and share the expertise of such a diverse team of collaborators and experts. The overall quality, sustainability and function of the urban space were considered in order to maximise the benefits of intervention.”

The award was presented at the “Structures for Inclusion” conference on 7th April 2017 in Portland, Oregon / USA.

The Intervention is a result of interdisciplinary research work, which took place within the framework of the EZBET-PNA Seminar in the Summer Courses at University of Stuttgart in 2016. The implementation took place from the 15th of August till the 20th of October, 2016.

The DAAD-funded Ezbet project devotes to the revaluation processes in the informal settlement of Ezbet Abu Qarn in Misr Al-Qadimah, in the historical heart of Cairo. Guided by Dr. Manal El-Shahat (SI) together with Dr. Mohamed El-Fayoumi and Dr. Samy Afifi (ASU), the project takes place in cooperation between Ain Shams University in Egypt and University of Stuttgart in Germany. The focus of the project is on the role of planners and academia as mediators in the bottom-up development of informal settlements.

Researchers and students from Germany and Egypt worked together with the Egyptian government, local NGOs and committed residents from Ezbet Abu Qarn on the implementation process towards effective participatory sustainable development of this informal settlement in Cairo.

For the awards announcements, please visit the following link: http://liveprojectsnetwork.org/lpn-awards/