As an attempt to uplift Egypt’s economic prowess, the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has approved plans to construct a new capital for this North African country from scratch.
SOM is leading The Capital Cairo project, which will construct this planned new city eastward of the current capital Cairo, closer to the Red Sea, Gizmag reports.
The plan for a new capital was announced during an economic development conference, during which Egyptian Housing Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the project would take only five to seven years to complete.
Additionally, the economic summit where the project was announced attracted $12 billion in investment pledges from wealthy neighboring countries in the Gulf region.
CityMetric reports that the government hired a Dubai-based real estate investment firm, headed by Emirati Mohamed Alabbar, the man behind the Burj Khalifa, to raise funds for the project and build it.
While many media outlets see the move as a statement on President al-Sisi’s power and vision, one main argument for the project is to relieve incumbent capital Cairo from an ever-growing population and ridding it of its gridlock traffic.
"While we are at the earliest stages of design, the new city will be built on core principles that include places of education, economic opportunity, and quality of life for Egypt’s youthful population," Philip Enquist, Partner in Charge of Urban Design and Planning at SOM, told Gizmag. "The new city will be designed and built in harmony with nature as a showcase of environmentally sensitive development."
Related Stories
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
| Nov 8, 2013
Oversized healthcare: How did we get here and how do we right-size?
Healthcare facilities, especially our nation's hospitals, have steadily become larger over the past couple of decades. The growth has occurred despite stabilization, and in some markets, a decline in inpatient utilization.
| Nov 8, 2013
S+T buildings embrace 'no excuses' approach to green labs
Some science-design experts once believed high levels of sustainability would be possible only for low-intensity labs in temperate zones. But recent projects prove otherwise.
| Nov 6, 2013
PECI tests New Buildings Institute’s plug load energy use metrics at HQ
Earlier this year, PECI used the NBI metrics to assess plug load energy use at PECI headquarters in downtown Portland, Ore. The study, which informed an energy-saving campaign, resulted in an 18 percent kWh reduction of PECI’s plug load.
| Oct 30, 2013
15 stellar historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovation projects
The winners of the 2013 Reconstruction Awards showcase the best work of distinguished Building Teams, encompassing historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovations and additions.
| Oct 30, 2013
Why are companies forcing people back to the office?
For a while now companies have been advised that flexibility is a key component to a successful workplace strategy, with remote working being a big consideration. But some argue that we’ve moved the needle too far toward a “work anywhere” culture.
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Oct 18, 2013
Sustainability expert: Smart building technology can have quick payback
Smart building technology investments typically pay for themselves within one or two years by delivering energy savings and maintenance efficiencies.