Regulating Change in Historic Cairo

June 3, 2021 / Tahrir Forum

Renovation and conservation projects in Historic Cairo fall within a complex legal framework, which sometimes does more to hinder development than to promote it.

Story of an Egyptian Man

Winter 2017 / Essays

Especially in the West, Arab men are often stereotyped as violent fanatics or oppressors of women. The truth is that Arab men, too, experience daunting political, economic, and social challenges related to their gender roles.

Chahine Lives!

Winter 2016 / Midan

A cinema downtown pushes the boundaries of film in Egypt.

Cairo: Megacity Without a Mayor

November 25, 2013 / Tahrir Forum

Mohamed Elshahed founded Cairobserver, Egypt’s first architecture and urbanism website. He speaks with Senior Editor Jonathan Guyer about the city’s grit: which historic areas are at risk, what residents say about their own neighborhoods, and how the government reacts to endemic problems.

The Arab Housing Paradox

Fall 2013 / Essays

From Cairo to Casablanca and beyond, millions of Arabs live in munatiq ‘ashwa’ia, or random areas. Informal developments continue to expand in response to state failure and incapacity. Arab governments should stop focusing on hyper-modern schemes and start empowering the poor for the creation of formal, legal neighborhoods with affordable housing.