Cycling and Walkability As Enablers to Preserve the Urban Heritage of Maadi Case Study: Street Number 250

Abstract

Recently the urban heritage of the 20thcentury neighborhoods in Egypt has been facing new challenges, such as losing a great deal of their architectural heritage wealth and urban harmony especially the neighborhoods of cultural heritage, like Maadi, by the harmful effects of the unsustainable transportation systems particularly private vehicles. This paper attempts to diagnose the vehicles problems in Egypt in general and in Maadi in particular and analyzing different approaches for enhancing walkability worldwide, by some theorists and urban planners in order to generate a general guidelines and indicators to evaluate an initiative that has been done by a private NGO in street number 250 in Maadi. The NGO made some modifications in the street to revitalize walkability and cycling, in order to save the urban heritage from the harmful effects of vehicles and encourage the residents to choose cycling and walkability over driving. Thus, the paper in hand seeks exploring whether their approach was successful or not, aiming to draw conclusions and propose recommendations that would increase the efficiency of cycling and walkability plans and approaches in Historic districts and consequently achieve sustainable and healthy community.

Keywords: Urban Heritage, Walkability, Cycling, Vehicular Effects-Maadi