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Industrial activities and waste are the main sources of air, water, soil pollution, depletion of natural resources, global warming and climatic changes, acid rain, biodiversity degradation worldwide. Egypt is suffering from industrial pollution and moving towards zero pollution goal represents a great challenge. Recently, Egypt is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The notion of eco-industrial park (EIP) has been revitalized recently to reduce waste and pollution, efficiently share resources, and help to achieve sustainable development in the industrial sector. The objective of this research is to suggest a framework to guide the development of eco-industrial parks in Egypt. The research applies the inductive method to deduce the suggested framework. The main international and national eco-industrial park guidelines as well as international case studies are used to conclude the main categories and criteria as well as the relationship between criteria. In order to investigate the proposed guiding framework, a local case study was chosen to be studied as a sample of Egyptian eco-industrial park. In conclusion, the application of the suggested framework helped highlighting the covered and uncovered areas in the sample local case study as a step to build on in the Egyptian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the conflict in Syria that started in 2011, Egypt welcomed a large number of Syrians Refugees. Most of them settle in Greater Cairo Region especially in the new cities. The integration of refugees in the fabric of Egyptian society has great effect on many aspects of life. From this point, the research highlights on the extent of Syrians' activities in the prosperity of commercial centers for residential neighborhoods in 6th October city, which consider a specific phenomenon, that affected on livability aspects in these neighborhoods. Accordingly, the main objective of the research is to study the relationship between the presences of Syrians' activities and the livability, then ranked the deduced livability variables by its influence on the livability of urban commercial centers, whereas the "Forced Displaced Syrians" activities one of these variables, and ended by determination of the most important urban factors that could be considered to ensure the success of an urban development. The research uses the triangulated methodology (questionnaires, urban survey, and nonparticipant observation) and the principle component analysis. The research consists of three parts, the first is a background of Syrians' situation in Egypt, then determine the livability variables in urban areas, second is the methodology, data collection, and choosing case study area, and deduce the livability variables and ranked them by its influence on the livability of urban commercial centers, whereas the presence of Syrians' activities one of these variables. Finally, the third part is result analysis, conclusions and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Productive urban landscape is a design concept integrating food growing and animal raising into the design of cities through public and private open spaces in an attempt to support local economic development. This research focuses on farm animals’ husbandry in cities as a type of local food production. Debates about governance tools for sustaining such economic sector arise frequently especially in Egypt, as one of the developing countries, striving to maintain urban quality of life, satisfy the community needs, and compensate the food prices’ increment. Accordingly, field questionnaires for residents of two rapidly expanding informal areas in Cairo (Zabaleen area in Agouza city) and (Masaken Osman in 6th of October city), together with questionnaires for experts and officials who are working in Urban Upgrading Units and those with experiences in the field of upgrading informal settlements were performed. This research thus aims at studying the feasibility and integration of such economic activities informally developing in unplanned areas in Egypt, as ‘new ruralism’, within the strategic and action planning of low-income and informal areas in a legalized regulatory system to tackle their challenges and enhance their economic role. Further, this research ends up with deducing specific values for prioritizing the types of governmental support (financial, space facilitations, social, and medical), as proposed by officials and residents representing the main incorporated stakeholders. This article also highlighted the unwillingness and the on-purpose ignorance of officials to sustain animal husbandry in cities, constituting a challenge that needs to be tackled in all developing countries not only in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The smart cities are considered to be an engine of economic and social growth. Most countries started to convert their existing cities into smart cities or construct new smart cities in order to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants. However, the problem that facing those countries while applying the concept of smart cities is the costs, especially for the residential sector. Despite the high initial and even operation costs for adopting different technologies in smart housing; the benefits could exceed those costs within the lifespan of the project. This article is shedding the light on the economics of smart housing. This study aims to evaluate the net present value (NPV) of a smart economic housing model to check the viability and feasibility of such projects. The calculation of the NPV based on Monte Carlo simulation provides an interesting methodological framework to evaluate the robustness of the results as well as providing a simple way to test for statistical significance of the results. This analysis helps to evaluate the potential profitability of smart housing solutions. The research ends up by proving the feasibility of this type of project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]