Egypt's Housing Crisis: The Shaping of Urban Space

A provocative analysis of the roots of Egypt’s housing crisis and the ways in which it can be tackled


Along with football and religion, housing is a fundamental cornerstone of Egyptian life: it can make or break marriage proposals, invigorate or slow down the economy, and popularize or embarrass a ruler. Housing is political. Almost every Egyptian ruler over the last eighty years has directly associated himself with at least one large-scale housing project. It is also big business, with Egy...