Here is a selection of materials related to the Ismailia projects which can be downloaded without copyright issues. There are also links to other materials which are available online. For a full list of materials see “Ismailia References” . The purpose is to help anyone who wants to research and learn from the El Hekr (later Hai el Salam), Abu Atwa and other projects in Ismailia by being able to relate the early intentions to the present development.
David Allen of Culpin Planning, the partner of the consultants responsible for the original work is undertaking a major effort to pull together and make available material related the Ismailia projects so as to make them available both to researchers and practicioners. I will progrssively update this site and make further relevant material available here.
The materials are arranged by date from the most recent, and then by author.
Learning from urban projects: why and how we should unlock the learning potential of urban development projects and programme
Forbes Davidson (2022) Learning from urban projects: why and how we should unlock the learning potential of urban development projects and programmes, International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, DOI: 10.1080/19463138.2022.2042305
The paper looks at the process of improving learning from urban projects and refers to the Ismailia projects as one example of the issues involved
Land and Services Policy: What we need to learn from the Experience of the al-Salam District in Ismailia
Tadamun 2019.
Link to web site. This is a recent review by the Egyptian NGO Tadamun looking at the plans and experience of implementation and discussing current relevance.
Development planning: balancing demands between
performance and capacity
(Davidson, 2006)The paper was prepared for a symposium on planning at Berlin Technical University December 2006
A short paper discussing the link between the form of development planning and the capacity implications. It argues that the form of planning needs to be closely related to the capacity to implement it. Examples given include the Ismailia Demonstration Projects and the later Planning and Development Agency.
You can download the paper here: Development planning and capacity
Participatory Slum Upgrading, Documented Experience from Ismailia, Egypt. UNDP
Madbouli, M., & Hassan, G. F. (2011). Participatory Slum Upgrading, Documented Experience from Ismailia, Egypt. UNDP
A documentation of the participatory upgrading projects at El Hallous and El Bahtini in Ismailia. These were supported by the NGO led by Habiba Eid, who was a key figure in in urban development activities in Ismailia. Download here
Evaluation of the project “Participatory Slum Upgrading in El-Hallous and El-Bhatini, Ismailia, Egypt
Davidson, F., & Hefnawi, A. el. (2008). Evaluation of the project “Participatory Slum Upgrading in El-Hallous and El-Bhatini, Ismailia, Egypt”. IHS for UNDP.
This project was run by Habiba Eid and features strong community participation. It continues from earlier upgrading experience of Hai el Salam, Abu Atwa and upgrading under the Sustainable Ismailia Project
You can download the report here
Long-term evaluation of an urban development Project: the case of Hai El Salam.
Matteucci C., 2006, Long-term evaluation of an urban development Project: the case of Hai El Salam. 7th N-Aerus Conference. Darmstadt: N-Aerus
A short summary of Claudio Matteucci’s 2006 research. Download it here. The summary is in English the full study is in Italian.
Sustainable Ismailia Governorate Project, Egypt – From issues to capital project development through investment and regional expansion.
Eid, Habiba. (2001). Sustainable Ismailia Governorate Project, Egypt – From issues to capital project development through investment and regional expansion In Implementation and Replication of the Sustainable Cities Programme Process at City and National Level. UN-Habitat Sustainable Cities Programme. https://mirror.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/1233_79927_WP2-final.pdf Pages 57-69.
A revue of the Sustainable Ismailia Governorate project by Habiba Eid, who was the project leader and earlier was in charge of the Abu Atwa demonstration project.
Urban Projects Manual
Davidson, F., Payne, G. K., et al United Kingdom. Dept. for International Development. (2000). Urban projects manual : a guide to the preparation of projects for new development and upgrading relevant to low income groups, based on the approach used for the Ismailia Demonstration Projects, Egypt (2nd ed.). Liverpool University Press for Department for International Development.
The manual provides a detailed guide to thinking through the development of an urban project. It does this by closely follows the technical process employed in carrying out the Ismailia Demonstration projects in Egypt. By focusing on the approach rather than particular solutions, it can be used as to help thinking through the development of urban projects in many situations. It is made available online with kind permission of the copyright holders, Crown Copyright, under an Open Licence Agreement for public sector information.
The manual was the result of many contributions including David Allen, David Sims and Ian Green, but a key input was the experience of the project implementation itself. I edited the manual together with Geoff Payne. We hope you find it helpful.
Hai el Salam Project: UN-Habitat 1996
UN Habitat. (1996). HAI EL SALAM PROJECT: AN UPGRADING SITES-AND-SERVICES PROJECT ISMAILIA , EGYPT. Nairobi.
This report provides a thorough review of the development of Hai el Salam by 1996. It is no longer available on the UN-Habitat website. A copy is available here .
Case study: supporting sustainable urban development, Egypt
Spence, Robin, Jill Wells and Eric Dudley. ‘Case study: supporting sustainable urban development, Egypt’, in ‘Jobs from Housing: employment, building materials and enabling strategies for urban development’, Ch. 3, pgs. 37-39, Intermediate Technology Publications, 1993
This extract is shared under the Open Government Licence.
A CONSTRAINTS GOVERNED APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT: LESSONS FROM TWO PROJECTS IN EGYPT
Kevin Tayler and Ian Green 1987
This paper, written for a conference in London in 1987 reviews the experience of the Ismailia Demonstration Projects and the ambitious World Bank supported Extension of Municipal Services project in Greater Cairo, providing some valuable insights from the experience of two of the key consultants involved at the time.
Ismailia Demonstration Projects, Submission for Aga Khan Award
Allen, D. (1986). Ismailia Demonstration Projects.
This report documented the projects for the Aga Khan awards in 1986 when they received an honourable mention.
A Comparative Evaluation of Three Upgrading Projects in Egypt (Helwan, Manshiet Nasser and Ismailia)
Silcox, Stephen C, Ford Foundation April 1985
This is a useful review of three different upgrading projects including the Ismailia projects executed in parallel in Egypt in the late 70’s early 80’s. They illustrate both different approaches and also the difference in the contexts of Cairo and Ismailia. Stephen Silcox has kindly agreed that the report may be share. The file can be downloaded below.
You can download the report here
El Hekr Project. The first Year
El Hekr Project. The first year
This brochure was made to summarise the progress made in the project, later known as Hai el Salam, it its first year -1978-79. It provides a brief overview and gives key figures of what was achieved. One important feature of the project was that it moved very quickly into implementation. Capacity building was through learning by doing.
Ismailia Demonstration Projects reports
Ismailia Demonstration Projects (1976) Clifford Culpin and Partners et al for ODA.
These original study reports were the basis of the Demonstration projects. The studies included in depth social studies to understand the issues and motivations for families. They also investigated the informal land and property markets so as to be able to work with existing systems. An incremental approach to infrastructure provision aimed to address affordability and be able to operate with uncertainty of timing of finance and progressively increasing density.
Download Volume 1 Overall proposals here
PROYECTO DEMOSTRATIVO DE VIVIENDA ISMAILIA, EGIPTO. Caso de estudio El Hekr – 1977-1978
Ma. Isabel Vargas Mata
Isabel Vargas is a Mexican architect who was a member of the design team for the Ismailia Demonstration projects. This is report she later made in Spanish describing the projects.