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Zusatztext "Sims' in-depth knowledge on the legal situation in Egypt and the country's complex political background is spectacular. His book is highly investigative . . . goes beyond basic inquiry towards a call to action. . . . Moreover! by unveiling the context surrounding the failures of previous 'desert development' projects! the book makes a remarkable point against corruption! nepotism and bureacracy." Informationen zum Autor David Sims is an economist and urban planner who has been based in Egypt since 1974. As well as having worked in several Arab, Asian and African countries, he has led studies on urban development, industrial estates, tourism, and other aspects of Egypt’s economic geography and spatial development. He is the author of Understanding Cairo: The Logic of a City out of Control (AUC Press, pbk edition, 2012). Timothy Mitchell is professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Columbia University. He is the author of Colonising Egypt, Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity , and Carbon Democracy: Political Power in the Age of Oil. Klappentext Egypt's Desert Dreams is the first attempt of its kind to look at Egypt's desert development in its entirety. It recounts the failures of governmental schemes, analyzes why they have failed, and exposes the main winners of Egypt's desert projects, as well as the underlying narratives and political necessities behind it, even in the post-revolutionary era. It also shows that all is not lost, and that there are alternative paths that Egypt could take. Vorwort A rigorous and comprehensive examination of Egypt’s desert development over the past half-century, updated for a new paperback edition Zusammenfassung Egypt has placed its hopes on developing its vast and empty deserts as the ultimate solution to the country’s problems. New cities, new farms, new industrial zones, new tourism resorts, and new development corridors, all have been promoted for over half a century to create a modern Egypt and to pull tens of millions of people away from the increasingly crowded Nile Valley into the desert hinterland. The results, in spite of colossal expenditures and ever-grander government pronouncements, have been meager at best, and today Egypt’s desert is littered with stalled schemes, abandoned projects, and forlorn dreams. It also remains stubbornly uninhabited. Egypt’s Desert Dreams is the first attempt of its kind to look at Egypt’s desert development in its entirety. It recounts the failures of governmental schemes, analyzes why they have failed, and exposes the main winners of Egypt’s desert projects, as well as the underlying narratives and political necessities behind it, even in the post-revolutionary era. It also shows that all is not lost, and that there are alternative paths that Egypt could take. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface to New Edition 1. Desert History, Geography, and Early Developments 2. A Roll Call of Desert Schemes and Dreams 3. The Imperative to Reclaim the Desert for Agriculture 4. The Long Saga of Trying to Build Cities and Settlements in the Desert 5. Manufacturing and Extractive Industries in the Desert 6. Tourism and Protectorates in the Desert 7. A New Population Map for Egypt? 8. The Fatal Flaw: Disastrous Management of Public Land 9. Summing Up: Can Lessons Finally Be Learned? ...
List of contents
Preface to New Edition
1. Desert History, Geography, and Early Developments
2. A Roll Call of Desert Schemes and Dreams
3. The Imperative to Reclaim the Desert for Agriculture
4. The Long Saga of Trying to Build Cities and Settlements in the Desert
5. Manufacturing and Extractive Industries in the Desert
6. Tourism and Protectorates in the Desert
7. A New Population Map for Egypt?
8. The Fatal Flaw: Disastrous Management of Public Land
9. Summing Up: Can Lessons Finally Be Learned?
Report
"In Desert Dreams, unlike many urban researchers who examine urban desert expansion, Sims contextualizes urban expansion in the desert within the bigger desert development story. Through his simple and jargon-free writing style, he critiques mega agricultural projects, new urban communities, and mega economic projects, such as the Desert Development Corridor, special economic and industrial zones, and tourism-centric coastal development. This diversity and wealth of information makes the book beneficial beyond the typical audience of urban researchers." TADAMUN: The Cairo Urban Solidarity Initiative (on UrbanAfrica.Net)
