Chapter 4: Urban Development and Rural Connectivity

In light of the world’s direction toward rapid and sustainable urbanization and considering the challenges Egypt faces, such as rapid population growth, urban sprawl, the gap between rural and urban areas, and the spread of informal settlements, issues of sustainable urban development have garnered the attention of the Egyptian government. This is reflected in Egypt’s adoption of the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy 2030 and the National Strategic Plan for Urban Development in Egypt 2052. Over the past years, the Egyptian government has intensified its efforts to achieve sustainable development in both rural and urban areas by pursuing parallel approaches (Al-Minshawy, 2023). One approach focuses on developing infrastructure services in rural and urban areas and improving the quality of existing urban structures, while the other involves expanding the creation of new, advanced, and sustainable urban communities.¹ The aim is to accommodate population growth and alleviate pressure on existing cities (Temeier, 2019).