The Predicament of Post-Displacement Amidst Historical Sites: A Design-based Correlation Between People and Place

ABSTRACT This article investigates the predicament of the presence of internally displaced persons (IDPs) near sites that have significant historical value. Particularly at the Aqueduct of Cairo, Egypt, established in AD 1176, this scene materializes as a result of facultative choices of IDPs or a group that decision-makers have forcibly displaced to save lives. The work advances development of a design-based approach to overcoming the predicament of this crucial relationship, following an argumentative review of heritage conservation policies in historical sites that host IDPs. To develop this approach, an ex post facto study of the site of the Aqueduct was conducted using two methods. The first is a qualitative approach, through interviews with experts who have participated in similar projects, to rank the design qualities of the proposed approach. The interview extended to 12 elderly people living on the site who described the urban changes. The second method is a cartography investigation, using morphological analysis to ground the precedence of design factors that reveal transformations made by diverse groups of citizens in five districts established in different periods, alongside this aqueduct. The results show the relevance of ranking these design factors, induced from theories such as place theory and the right to heritage. The case study demonstrates that users’ participation in the decision-making process should increase. The conclusion articulates the spatial configuration of historical monuments in their context, with a deep awareness of procedures, agents, and beneficiaries.