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THE PRACTICES OF UTOPIA AND THE POLITICS OF TRADITION

Mechanisms of sustainability strategic plan for New Alexandria An analytical study using S.W.O.T system

Hisham G. ELshimy 1 and Mohammed A. Nasr 2

1 Pharoas University, Alexandria, Egypt. 2Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

ABSTRACT:

System of regional planning is a tool to implement strategic policies for the country in the institutional framework by using the mechanisms and legislation and laws governing the functioning of the Regional Planning. As an application of the strategy for regional planning in accordance with possibilities of the region (Area - Population - environmental resources) and integrate them to support their success, research aims to provide an integrated approach to management of regional development through the regional strategy by using the system include the elements of regional planning by coordinating the drafting stages and the form of operational steps to reach an approach to management of regional development and configure the system to manage the exploitation of the natural resources for study plans for the sustainability of the regional strategic plans.

Conference Topic:Sustainable Development & Environmental Management

Keywords: Planning – New Alexandria – S.W.O.T analyses

1. Introduction:

Alexandria is an Member of the application because of their constituents and environmental resources for regional development and the city and use the study to remedy the incident in west Alexandria development and the outline of regional study concludes with a group of the most important results that the planning for balanced regional planning creates a sustainable city to form nuclei of regional development is geographically dispersed, including a balanced set of centers of gravity to make regional planning sustainable development overlapped in the long run and the lack of development gaps to balance regional development scheme, particularly with regard to the distribution of resources and capabilities and to emphasize the most important set of recommendations from the structure of regional planning a phased manner adversely begin strategic planning for the city, and strategic planning to the province to ensure the progressive realization of the construction overlapped structure development with the need to focus on urban development as a nucleus essential for sustainable and balanced development of comprehensive and need to

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rearrange the Alexandria urban boundaries overlapped manner, the database, such as geographic information systems (GIS) records as a tool to control the development trends and rates of a comprehensive database updated and to recommend the distribution of development in a balanced manner with the administrative regions in terms of (Area - census) and the establishment of hubs compatible development (environmental – economical - social) to achieve the core material for utopia and the research measure the linkages between utopias, politics, and tradition, papers in this track are encouraged to investigate how tradition is deployed within the political sphere, and the role the state plays in formulating notions of community and governance.

2. Historical study of the concept of utopia and the evolution of the general concept at the level of urban planning :

The historical development of utopia both draws upon and creates anew traditions of space, citizenship, and government. Those engaged with the idea of utopia have always come back to its physical realization within space, however elusive and/or illusory. In writing his Republic, Plato drew heavily on Greek traditions of warfare, civic engagement, and physical form, while Augustine of Hippos City of God was a response to a particular moment of empire and decadence. Thomas More created a sketchy ideological geography of no place as a mythical island with a-spatial intonations. Since the Renaissance, when architects and artists such as Vitruvius searched for the cite felice, practitioners have tried to create physical spaces that would provide Eden-like environments for humankind. In more recent times, the modernist schemes of Ebenezer Howard and Le Corbusier envisioned ideal spaces that claimed to erase difference.

The word utopia is no longer as commonly referenced in professional practice as it was a few decades ago. However, architects, planners, and politicians continue to look for and disseminate notions of ideal forms. Regulated by ethnicity, religion, or race, the identity enclaves of many modern nations use territory to perpetuate visions of perfect communities based on specific traditions. The continuation and strengthening of tradition, cloaked in the language of utopia, may thus be seen to provide the focus for new gated communities in the developing world, the dreamscapes in cities around the Persian Gulf and the Pacific Rim, and the faux-colonial homes in American suburbs. On the other hand, there is an emerging discourse that re-conceptualizes utopia itself, not as a product but as an open process aimed at transforming, rather than transcending, the existing condition.

2.1 Utopias :

Utopias of an alternative to the existing society began in the Renaissance with the desire to overcome feudalism and - after the establishment of capitalism – With the hope of creating a communist or socialist society. Searching for new solutions utopias always had and has an important function in situations of historical crisis and radical change. They oppose the given state of affairs and show conceptions of new and pacified society characterized by humanity and equality. Many literary utopias of a pacified human society have been produced in history and many of them described ideal cities, but only very few are visualized visualization always mean a loss of utopian quality.

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Figure (1 )Howard’s Vision of a System Figure (2 ) Le Corbusier’s New City (2) of Garden Cities (2)

2.2 Utopian City Concepts in the 20th Century :

Three urban utopias were developed by Ebenezer Howard, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. In one form or another, their visions were manifested in modern urban structure. Howard envisioned a system of “garden cities” surrounding a central city. The cities would be mostly self-contained and self-functioning (see Figure 1). The ideas of Howard developed into the Garden City movement with several cities built in the U.K. and the United States based on his concepts. The most noteworthy are Radburn, New Jersey, USA Reston, Virginia USA, Letchworth (UK) and Welwyn (UK). Radburn and Reston have been widely seen as models for urban development.

The development of ideal city concept :

- Utopian socialism - Modernism - The vision of harmony - Social planning and housing - Garden city - Organic image - Continuity – challenge – response - Postmodernism

2.3 Utopia Degeneration and Postmodern Urbanism :

What needs highlighting here is that, First The shifts in the above attitudes took place within the context of changing economic and political conditions that are themselves crucial to understanding the “ crisis of changing economic and political conditions that are themselves crucial to understanding the “crisis of the city and of urbanity” addressed by Robins Foremost here are the kinds of accounts produced by Harvey of how issues of architecture, planning and urbanism may be understood in connection with restructurings at the level of capitalist economies, regimes of capital accumulation and modes of urban governance (Harvey, 1989a, 1989b). other critics have similarly argued that recent urban restricting have challenged the identities of cities and places and led to the emergence of new urban forms, although some have been more insistent on the need to develop new paradigms of critical thinking capable of responding to these conditions in a manner that goes beyond the historical-mate-rialist the rizing favors by Harvey into more variegated post-Marxist fields (e.g. Dear, 2000. Soja, 2000). Either way, it is clear that the stalling of early modernist ambitions in planning and architecture, with their desire for spatial and social

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change, has to understand not merely at the level of ideas but in relation to such economic and political conditions. The second point to emphasis is that postmodern architecture and urbanism were understood form the beginning as anti-utopian. This is not to deny that at times and places they had utopian characteristics. Rather, it is to say that they were typically projected, in their opposition to the ambitions of modernist approaches, as being against utopian of modernist approaches, as being against utopian.

2.4 The sustainable city as a new vision of Utopian City :

The idea of the sustainable city is that a city will not overburden the environment for future generations. The most widely excepted definition of sustainability was formulated in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development in a report entitled “Our common future”. This statement is generally referred to as the Brundtland Report (5). It should be noted that the ideas of a sustainable city is being operationalized with the development of a GIS geared toward tools so that cities can be sustainable.

3. The most important features of the sustainable planning of The City Utopia :

Ecological utopias describe new ways in which society should relate to nature. They react to a perceived widening gap between the modern Western way of living that destroys nature and the traditional way of living that is thought to be more in harmony with nature .

Vision of Loreto Bay, Mexico • The air is cleaner • Life is more abundant • The water is purer • Enriched by the culture •The people are healthier

3.1 Mission

To demonstrate that human can play a regenerative role in the eco-system, while creating positive social change and bringing economic prosperity to Central Baja California.

3.2 Commitments

3.2.1 To protect and enhance the environment, we will: • Produce more energy from renewable resources than we consume. • Harvest or produce more potable water than we use. • Facilitate the creation of more biodiversity, more biomass and more habitat than existed when we started.

3.2.2 To improve social welfare, we will: • Implement a Regional Affordable Housing Strategy to ensure that people who work at Loreto Bay

is able to afford to live in the area. • Support the development of a full service medical center in Loreto. • Dedicate one percent of the gross proceeds of all sales and re-sales, in perpetuity, to the Loreto Bay

Foundation to assist with local social and community issues. 3.2.3 To ensure economic growth, we will:

• Create significant new jobs in Loreto. • Enhance the local economy through responsible tourism and new business development.

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• Build a successful community that delivers a healthy rate of return to our investors, home owners, and partners.

3.3 Roles of sustainable development :

To achieve sustainable development by: A- Economic roles: Consumption patterns are changing to reduce the level of energy consumption

and improve efficiency and not wasting natural resources. B - Environmental roles: Protection of natural resources from human pressures and high levels of

consumption Catalysts and accelerators for primary economic activities. C- Humanity roles: Secure the basic needs of the population (education - Health care - Clean water -

Protection of social and cultural diversity). D- Technology roles: The use of advanced technology Cleaner and more efficient In energy

consumption and reduce emissions.

3.4 Study the environmental impact :

- Apply environmental management system, the Integrated Regional (IREM) - Necessary to analyze the interrelationships between the three parties in the planning process (The

proposed site - Environmental impacts - Elements of development) and to study the interrelationship.

Stages of environmental planning: Study of the proposed scheme clear that the project's impact on the environment Affect the different levels as follows:

A - Environmental impacts C - No significant environmental effects B - The effects of specific environmental D - Environmental project

The project is generally the project is generally a clear environmental effects to be aware The most important inter-network infrastructure (Electricity - Exchange - Nutrition - Ways - the settlement of the earth - to deal with border beach - resettlement and population density - Tourism), There are also environmental impacts represented in the networks of environmental infrastructure, limited scale for some services (Hospitals - ambulance - Schools - Network Connections). Beside elements of the environmental effect will be ineffective, such as Scheme of the family - Health and Nutrition - Environmental Assistance - There are elements of the environment is part of the Lake Marot.

4. Trends of urban sprawl schemes Strategy in Alexandria Governorate (2005 – 2017 – 2025 – 2050) Proposed for the new Alexandria city:

The draft planning study area, a vital project that contributes significantly to the process of urban development as one of the axes of the Alexandria Governorate, it represents part of the overall strategy pursued by the Alexandria Governorate in Update the general planning of the city and re-evaluation of land use To push urban development to the highest levels to suit the requirements of the Alexandria citizens and visitors .

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Figure 3 (2005 – 2017 – 2025 – 2050) Proposed Strategies for the new Alexandria city

5. The most important Planning problems affecting the site of the new Alexandria city :

5.1 Regional approach and the general location

Study site on the axis of the international highway planned to link the Mediterranean countries north and south and thus occupies a place in the world so that the site is a meeting point for trade and business between Eastern and Western Mediterranean . The study area lies north of the center of the new development west of the city of Alexandria, where the total area of about ( 881277082 ) square meters , ( about 2098 acres ). The average length of a piece of land about 6190 meters whiles the average offer almost 1475 meters.

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Figure 4 The study area and its relation to CBD of Alexandria city

And limits the study area from the northern side of Western Road Alexandria - Matrouh Desert, while the net is bounded at the south eastern axis of the new reconstruction The north-eastern side begins at the point of the passage of Sidi Krier as 27 Km and The study area adjacent to the ancient quarries. Beside the existing Alexandria Portland Cement Factory and housing areas Alexandria 26km at the end of the study area from the south-west by at Sidi Krier - Borg El Arab Airport.

The majority of the population of the region from the Arabs and The main activity of the region's population is agriculture And relies on rainwater and groundwater as well as craft grazing with a total population of almost 12 000 people The area is densely populated, where a decrease of up to 7 persons / acre. A pattern of urban communities in the region, the presence of scattered hamlets in the form of nag Arab Randomly distributed in the earth and is based in a bar on the sides of main roads And increase the density by West Alexandria / Matrouh

5.2 General Site :

The area is 30 km from Alexandria and the location of the region is characterized by the existence A tow vital artery The center of development and the road to Alexandria Matrouh, which qualifies to play

Figure 5 The study area Surrounding land use

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a role in the provision of services activities in the administrative, commercial to the residential area surrounding the actress in the villages of the northern coast range of up to 60 km As well as the King Mariot, Burj Al Arab, and limits the road north of the site (Alexandria - Matrouh) Where the increasing density of urban housing for Arabs along the site Offset on the other side as well as oil depots set of population centers and then a group of tourist villages to the junction of the center of the airport Sidi Krier Bounded on the south Lake Mariot length of the site and plots of land bounded on the east and Portland Cement Company Quarry With a set of economic and housing plots of land bounded to the west with a group of resorts under construction .

6. Site Analysis :

6.1 Analysis of the natural elements

Include the analytical study of the elements Tabieiy study of both the public site and study the climatic and topographic factors and analysis of trends and the soil surface and Wildlife Also addresses the uses of surrounding areas and visual analysis of the site and its impact on key decisions in planning.

5.1.1 Climatic elements:

The area within the territory of hot, dry summer climate mild rainy winter A - Heat and humidity: Temperature indicators suggest that the overall average temperature during

the year is 22 degrees Celsius The average temperature during the summer months (June, July, August) is 25-30 degrees Celsius The August heat more months, and during the winter months (December, January, February) exerting downward pressure on temperature for up to 20 degrees Celsius The site has low humidity for being in the semi-desert zone

B - The wind: Data indicate the movement and wind speed to the trend of the winds in the region is the north and northwest in summer and exposed location of the phenomenon of land and sea breeze.

C- Rain: The data indicate that the rate of rainfall on the study area is about (90.2 mm / year) the month of December and January months more vulnerable to year rainfall and rainfall is an important element of the work of agricultural development and prosperity of wildlife in general in the region. It is already clear that the study area is located in a temperate climate suitable for investment.

5.1.2 Soil analysis:

A - Topographical: Coastal plain extends to the territory of the North West Coast between latitudes Cantor (zero and 22) North West of the site is on the surface of the sea which includes most of the major blocs of territory and is the project of a series of rocky REDGE Rock (limestone), which constitute most of the North West Where the site is located on the second where REDGE descended north towards the lake attached to a component group of marshes and Lake.

B- Analysis of trends: The majority of the land site descends at rate tendencies 1-10; there are some areas up to the orientation of which more than 20% as well as some areas with sharp pieces resulting from quarrying.

C - Installation of topsoil: Soil Consists province north-west coast in general medium of material suitable for agriculture above the layer of limestone Which was used as a poultice use of building materials affected the composition of the topography of the site to spread by the quarry as shown in the following With some areas showing where rocky outcrops of limestone, in addition to some of the salt marshes near the shore of the lake.

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5.1.3 Water:

A - Groundwater: Available region of underground water with average salinity, which can be mixed with water for cultivation and uses of fire extinguishers are not suitable for drinking the depth of the wells ranges between 30-60 m depth to get this deep water is safe water for gardening and other services.

B - Surface water: Represented by water in lakes and marshes along the lake and private beach on the side of the road A range of salinity of Lake Marriot high and surrounded by clusters of marsh plants , And these areas of high value can be exploited as a new pattern for wildlife.

C - Rain: Average annual rainfall 90 mm / year, a water suitable for agriculture and the cultivation of the barley, figs, olives, and were previously suitable for cultivation of wheat and vineyards in the Roman image it was considered as this region is a basket of grain Roman Empire.

5.1.4 Wildlife and Plant:

A- Plant Life: Site has the presence of pieces of agricultural land of a local nature by relying on seasonal rains spreading Active Cultivation of figs and olives, is characterized by the presence of a site of local trees such as (recite - acacia), which formed the natural areas must be preserved and developed.

B- Wildlife: Enjoy the site there are a number of organisms, which must work to maintain them as the site is a point for flights of migratory birds to Egypt, which can provide a place to view and attention to leave the spaces for the enjoyment of the spaces in these birds.

Figure 6 Showing Slope and orientation Figure 7 type of soil (sandy)

Figure 8 Landscape panorama

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7. Analysis of the Urban elements : 7.1 The region and urban development

Region lacks the pattern of urban character of a specific majority of buildings to the Arabs (Bedouins) and the role of one of the limestone and spread at random, the more intensity on the axis through (Alexandria - Matrouh) Intervening areas, some residential buildings, up 3-4 on the road outside the roles and clump together to form three major hunger in the region, namely: (Hawara nag –Alduffinep Nag - Abu Zaida Nag) are the most communities located there.

7.2 Distribution of land uses of the current situation There is no blueprint for an ongoing distribution of uses in the region it is a cultural region is predominantly residential use with a number of agricultural areas (cultivation of figs and olives) And two poultry farms and a limited number of secondary roads and pistils of the most important way Bturabip Mamluk which runs through the region offer And two poultry farms and a limited number of secondary roads and dirt pounders most important Mamluk road which runs through the region offer , And a number of private quarries at Alexandria Cement , and some sales and marketing on the road to Alexandria – Matrouh .

7.3 Urban Structure There is no career structure or visual of the area only a group of Arab houses scattered at random , And permeates the region Flats vast space of land and quarries, used and expired Analysis of social elements.

7.4 Distribution and population density Population density based on the coastal strip and some nags along the Sidi Krier and the demographics of the area depend mainly on the Arabs within the nag some migrants seeking work in the summer on the coastal strip and some permanent employment for petroleum services and quarries in the north.

7.5 Demographics Demographics are not clear but the existence of tribal gathering of the Bedouins in the region and the average resident population estimated 13,000 inhabitants of the area density of up to 7 persons per Acre.

7.6 Accessibility to the study area a- Alexandria- Matrouh highway. b- Alexandria-Cairo desert highway. c. Mehwer Altaameer northern side

Figure 9 Sidi Kreer- Mehwer Altaameer Figure 10 Alexandria- Matrouh highway northern side

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Figure 11 Alexandria- Matrouh highway

Figure 12 Diagram showing site borders

Figure 13 Diagram showing topography and slope

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Figure 14 Diagram showing vegetation distribution

Figure 15 the concept of sustainable development in natural area

8. Conclusions and recommendations: 8.1 The most important Planning problems affecting on the site of New Alexandria City

A - Away from government institutions vital concentrated in Alexandria. B - Environmental pollution in north-eastern region of the existence of a group of factories C - There is no possibility for future extension a set of major traffic hubs for the development of the

region and limited to specific projects and targets areas D - The lack of government services such as hospitals, schools and universities in the vicinity of the

region Accommodate urban sprawl and residential growth in the beginning of the project Therefore, legislation should be established in parallel with the municipal investment projects for residential and commercial.

E - The need to support basic infrastructure facilities, the region to establish development projects in the future for sewage station and feed the water and electricity stations located in the region

8.2 Planning considerations to be in the city of New Alexandria to improve the system sustainable utopia

A set of environmental and social considerations and economic duty in the planning of the city of Alexandria the new system to improve the sustainable utopia.

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8.2.1 First, environmental considerations: - - Maintaining the environmental components that are available to the project site of the wealth of

environmental plants and water sources.- Working to solve the problems of environmental pollutants in factories and outputs the surrounding

residential area.- Provision of alternative sources of energy to maintain on the ground and reduce the causes of

pollution.8.2.2 Second, social considerations: -

- Development of social determinants of the native population of the region, creating a fabric of a population is subject to merger with displaced residents of the area

- Providing service projects in the region to stimulate the stability and localization - Study the expected number of population growth and urban development projects linked to ensure

that no accumulation of a population a future. - Establishing a network strengthening of transportation to connect the site with the city of

Alexandria and Borg El-Arab to make a thread. Economic considerations: - Planning for a range of investment projects that provide material support and project financing

services to the population, including reducing government support and the provision of self-financing

- The interdependence of economic projects in the region surrounding the oil services sector and food industries through complementary projects help to achieve compatibility Integrated

- Connecting the region to the free port of Alexandria and projects economic projects in the region through the establishment of business service centers, banks and stock market

- A set of laws and legislation, economic incentive for investors to set up development projects From the above, we find that all the above considerations are integrated with each In order to stimulate new society primarily on sustainability and resettlement and the optimum utilization of resources and facilities available and sustainability and this can improve the concept of the city Virtuous sustainable compatible with the needs of the population and to meet the aspirations anticipate their future without relying on the original Mother City of Alexandria.

9. References :

- Geus, Marius de. ," Ecologische utopieën- Ecotopia's en het milieudebat", Uitgeverij Jan van Arkel, Paris, 1996.

- Internet Web Site, " Global Vision Corportation, sustainable city ", GIS software for sustainable development, http://www.global-vision.org/city/index.html ) , Retrieved , 1- 2010.

- Loreto Bay, " Inaugural Sustainability Report " , john wiley & sons , inc ,June 2007. - Michael A. McAdams, " The information age city: a bourgeois utopian dream " , Geography

Department ,Fatih University ,Istanbul, Turkey, 2001.

- Hanni Skroblies , " Ideas and visions in 20 th century urban planning " , university of technology Darmstadt , Germany, 2000.

- Pinder ,D. ," In defense of utopian urbanism : imagining cities after the end of utopia ", N. Y. , 2002.

- Swiss Federal Office for Spatia l Development, " Sustainable Development ", Internet Web Site : ( http://www.are.admin.ch/are/en/nachhaltig/international_uno/unterseite02330 ), 2006.

- Lyle, J. T. ," Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development ", john wiley & sons, inc ,April 2009.