Livelihood Reports Al Amrikeya Area - Final Assessment | Page 28
Figure 4: Location of 6th of October City within the Greater Cairo Region Figure 5: Location of Al-Amrikiyyia Area within the 6th of October City Figure 6: The immediate surroundings of Al-Amrikiyyia Area
The history of the 6th of October City dates back to 1979 when the
then-president Sadat decreed the construction of several desert cities
outside of Cairo (1) . The 6th of October City, located forty kilometres
to the west of Cairo (Figure 4), was one of several new towns to be
constructed with the vision of a self-sufficient industrial city that con-
stitutes both factories and housing for workers within a controlled
area. Initially, the city was intended to house around 500,000 dwell-
ers and provide them with housing and employment. Perhaps due
to its proximity to Cairo, the 6th of October City was one of the few
successful new urban communities carried out by Egypt’s New Urban
Communities Authority (NUCA). The 6th of October City soon became
an active industrial node, although until 1990 much of the area desig-
nated to its development remained vacant. In 1995, NUCA embarked
on the development of another nearby city/new urban community
known as Sheikh Zayed, to the north-east of the 6th of October City (2) . At this point, the 6th of October City became more than just an indus-
trial zone with flocks of residents arriving to the area, imposing the
need for various new functions. Soon after, the 6th of October Univer-
sity was constructed at the heart of city and along one of its main cor-
ridors, Al-Mehwer Al-Markazy, becoming the first building along that
major road at the time. Later on, Al-Amrikiyya Area started growing
around the University, as the 6th of October city began to expand to
the west, defining this area as one of the most significant and oldest
zones in this part of town. The 6th of October City began to attract
residents from various parts of Greater Cairo Region (GCR) and from
abroad, being a growing residential, educational, administrative, com-
mercial, and industrial hub. Today, the AAA sits on a very unique and attractive block (Figure 5). It
is surrounded from all sides by large residential districts (1st, 2nd, 7th
and 8th District). It lies meters away from a major hospital, al-Hossary
Mosque (Figure 6) the 6th of October University, major retail centres,
the CA premises and the city’s sporting club. AAA gains its signifi-
cance from its central location within the 6th of October City, as it
falls on a central service axis for the city, as well as from its surround-
ing landmarks (Figure 1) On the northern side, El-Tahrir Road marks
a defined edge for the area. On the East as well as the West, the two
directions of Al-Mehwer Al-Markazy mark a clear boundary as they
are both major arteries into and out of the 6th of October City. On
the South lies the University with its definitive fence, marking a final
boundary around the area (Figure 2,Figure 3) On the three other edg-
es, the area is surrounded with residential and mixed-use buildings.
AAA’s shopping malls, located on all of its edges, serve the surround-
ing residents’ needs and attract them to spend their time there.
1- David Sims, Egypts Desert Dreams, p.125
2- Ibid., p.128
2.1 | Location And Boundaries
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