The path to resilience: Change, landscape aesthetics, and socio-cultural identity in rapidly urbanising contexts. The case of Cairo, Egypt

Cairo has been undergoing a major transformation that shifts urban areas from the Nile River to the adjacent desert to accommodate the increased population. These new areas introduce landscape characteristics that differ from the historical, cultural, and symbolic image of the agricultural Nile Valley and its Delta. While desert landscapes might be the suitable answer to the city’s physical needs, their social and cultural acceptance could hinder their implementation. In this regard, the research questions the transformation to an ecologically sensitive landscape while considering the socio-cultural dynamics of the city. It further attempts to understand the cultural and symbolic images and meanings of nature among Cairo’s residents and their acceptance of new landscape paradigms. This was achieved through an image-based quantitative survey of Cairo residents. The findings suggest that the potential for adopting desert landscape character in Cairo is relatively positive. However, due care should be given to the rate of change and transformation to the desert landscape character due to the significance of the prior symbolic meanings and attachments to the Nile Valley. Additionally, the research advocates for the role of ‘landscape character’ in bringing ecology and climate change to the forefront of everyday life in Cairo. The study identifies theoretical and practical implications that could be useful to other cities in transition. It also highlights the interrelation between landscape character, aesthetic experience, and the socio-cultural identity of communities in the context of sustainable landscape transformation. This is especially relevant in rapidly urbanising contexts and climatically affected cities. Understanding the dynamics of these interrelations can lead the way for better insights into resilience and sustainable practices in urban settings and underscores the need for further investigation.