on a representative to speak for them in order to reach solutions and be heard at the CA . Serious brawls and violence erupt frequently among them and between them and the shops , which disturbs the peace and affects the image of AAA . They have admitted that there are natural leaders who are , actually , thugs controlling the area .
In order to light their stalls and carts , they illegally pull electricity from public poles or take extensions from shops . Some shops do it as an act of kindness , but others do it in response to covert threats from vendors of damaging their shops if they don ’ t .
6th of October CA
The CA is in constant conflict with the shopkeepers and street vendors associated with public space activities . As for the Syrian passage , it is a private property of Aly al-Deen II mall , yet coffee shops are covering the ventilation openings of the garage underground and the whole area has no fire extinguishing system and no accessibility for fire fighting vehicles . In addition , the CA claims that the “ Syrian Passage ” hinders pedestrian circulation . That is why they remove the tables and items that coffee shops place in it . The only way out is for this area to present a fire extinguishing plan and system to be approved then executed .
3.2.3 INSTITUTIONAL / LEGAL AS- PECTS
3.2.3.1 Built Environment Aspects
Many of the problems related to the built environment are due to the deficiencies of the existing urban management structure . One of the major issues is that many of the occupants unions are not activated . There are several occupants ’ unions in AAA , who should supposedly provide services , mainly small maintenance , and garbage collection , but most of them are not acknowledged by the CA & the contracts they have with Tenants ( Shop owners ) is not monitored . In addition , the ambiguous ownership of the internal streets negatively affects the paving conditions . Moreover , the informal use of public pace results in the destruction of both street furniture and sidewalk pavements . Another aspect of the deficiency of the existing urban management structure is the provided municipal services ; such as waste management services , maintenance of public amenities , and the security services in the area .
Accordingly , the institutional needs associated with the built environment aspects could be categorized as follows :
• Capacity building is required to improve solid waste management . This could be applied through training of the legal department of the city on the enforcement of environmental laws , especially with the service providing private company ( service monitoring ).
• The ownership of the internal streets in the area should be defined to maintain their condition .
• A legal form of public space use is required for both shop extensions and street vending activities .
• A maintenance strategy is required to maintain the quality of the area .
3.2.3.2 Socio-Economic Aspects
Similarly , many of the socio-economic problems and needs are also associated with institutional and legal deficiencies . The most persistent problem emphasized by both shop owners and street vendors is their unstable legal status , whether related to operating licenses or the right of use of public space . In addition , the regulations associated with commercial areas need to be clearly defined to the users of the AAA . These regulations are related to , civ-
123 | THE AREA ’ S NEEDS ASSESSMENT