Understanding The Social And Economic Dimensions Of Informality. The Case Of Manshiet Nasser, Egypt

Informal settlements are usually perceived in a generalized perception. This paper aims to analyze and understand the importance of informality as a complex process. The nature of informal settlements as observed in Cairo is complex, diverse, dynamic and has been arising from perception differences. In order to evaluate the situation of informal areas, it is necessary to analyze the underlying aspects that lead to the formation of informality. Therefore, an Analytical Tool consisting of six dimensions is developed to explore the nature, complex forms and different perceptions of informality to understand the underling aspects and complexities of informality. The goal of this paper is to highlight two dimensions of the Analytical tool; 1) the Social Structure and 2) Economic Activity of informal settlements. The case study analyzed in this paper is Manshiet Nasser, which is documented to be one of Cairo's largest informal settlements. A comparative analysis is developed between two areas within Manshiet Nasser, which are Ezbet Bekhit and Hay El Zabaleen. The findings of the analysis will demonstrate that each area is diverse and complex in terms of informality. Even though the two selected areas exist within the same boundary, share similar context and geography and thus, are seen as a single community within Manshiet Nasser, yet, they are significantly diverse and demonstrate clear distinctions. Hence, informal settlements should not be tackled by one generic approach, and systems used to address each area should take into consideration the area’s characteristics in terms of diversity, complexity and dynamics.