Cairo’s footpaths are disappearing, its public spaces are shrinking and its trees are being uprooted to make way for car-focused infrastructure and urban sprawl. For pedestrians, the city has become a hostile place.
A personal essay by Rehab Eliawa, published in Qantara.de, 26/08/2026
Rehab was born in Gamaliya, the old part of Cairo near the Al-Hussein Mosque. Her childhood experience while walking around its narrow alleyways was full of history and comfort. Unfortunately, the same experience did not greet her when she came back since many parts around the mosque are now fenced because of the 2022 redevelopment project. She began to compare her experience in Madrid and Tunisia, and then realised that she never disliked walking, but rather Cairo’s streets just made her feel constant unpleasantness. Few points that she brought up include the Kamal Amer Bridge in Giza that even cut through a community into two, making it hard for the residents to cross and even some of them endangers themselves by crossing the highway (many of it resulting in accidents involving vehicles). Official national traffic statistic stated that in 2024, more than 5000 traffic related deaths; while a research paper from the Nada foundation also shows on 13% of daily trip in greater Cairo are active (meaning trips conducted either cycling or walking), the rest 87%—are motorized. Cairo’s officials tried to tackle this problem by developing the Cairo Bike, a bicycle rental scheme. This was unfortunately a total failure, hence the lack of respect by car users. The author’s underlying argument is that both government policy and city planning in Cairo prioritise cars and profit-driven development, while the issues for pedestrians and public space are untouched. She closes by noting that the shrinking parks have been instead rewarded with air-conditioned malls, which creates a significant retreat in public life. Now, to even walk in Cairo is a punishment, both physically (because of the extreme heat) and socially.
Read the full article here.
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