Articles

For an attentive reading of the city and to help understand the public policy of memory, we need to pay closer attention to the processes of sense-making inscribed in uncommon forms. Public art has long been recognised for its potential to transform urban spaces. While the most traditional way of conserving memory centres on formal street art, graffiti may be seen as subversive. Graffiti is considered vandalism; its role in urban memory is overlooked. The author argues that such a notion is not directly related to protecting public and private property in Cairo, but rather conflicts with the elites’ and authorities’ need to control the urban narrative, the diversity of cultural values, and political positions. The article explores the role of graffiti in Cairo by selecting numerous graffiti pieces across the city. The graffiti pieces were selected to address cultural diversity, aesthetics, and political aspects. They were selected to represent what came to be known as guerrilla memory. Graffiti pieces were classified by their objectives and analysed semiotically. Besides the political graffiti, Cairo exhibits commercial, aesthetic and religious graffiti. The different types of graffiti in Cairo tell a story about the community’s hopes, frustrations, and cultural values. This turns the city walls into memory carriers. Graffiti in Cairo plays a significant role in expressing the silenced community’s thoughts by providing a visible and tangible representation. Graffiti’s visibility and its imposition of diverse, unauthorised urban narratives explain why it is highly contested in Cairo, as it draws marginalised citizens’ voices into urban places.

Street vending is a vital part of global urban life and not a local phenomenon. It can be found in various countries and forms; stationary and mobile. In Egypt, street vendors’ activities are considered illegal, an image of backwardness, blocking investors and tourism. This study aims at monitoring and investigates the female street vendors' role in placemaking in Heliopolis, Cairo. Challenging the authoritarian illegality aspect, literature review, observational walks, and spontaneous interviews are adopted in obtaining data and evaluating the female street vendors’ role in constructing a sense of place and identity. Female street vendors' expression, displaying arrangement, socio-cultural identities and chancy events create livable public places, territorial identities and a sense of place.

The bottom-up or informal placemaking process is “illegal”, practised only by the “poor” and “unintellectual” classes. The author argues that various classes practise informal placemaking regardless of their economic status or educational level. Studying the spatial manifestation of informal placemaking helps to understand the concrete needs of the residents and reconsider their role in identifying places. Aiming to comprehend informal placemaking and its importance, this study investigates informal placemaking in Sheraton Residence, Heliopolis, Cairo. The area is chosen for its formality, socio-economic and cultural patterns. Cases of informal placemaking in Sheraton Residence are described and analysed to pinpoint their role in creating a sense of place, territorial identity and comprehending their meaning. A comparison with cases in informal low-income housing is conducted to construct diversities and similarities. The study encourages the re-thinking of the public role in placemaking as a place of negotiation and belonging. We can improve their urban quality by re-thinking informal placemaking and looking at how people use the place. The general impression that only informal housing and low-educated classes practise informal placemaking is incorrect.