Street children are perceived as
being dangerous and criminal, which is a perception that should be changed. Recently,
foundations around the world are raising this issue to a top of their priority.
A chance was given to me by a private foundation; one to generate a landscape for
the re-habitation of street children in a vacant desert site in Egypt. I was to
design a place of 3 Fadden that will be made specifically to lure them from
streets and keep them safe using landscape tools only.
This research project started in the summer of 2009. It is taking an
experimental methodology from the beginning as there were no basics to follow
at the start of the design. The foundations’ request was to design a garden
where street children will be taught to have productive ideas by
interacting with the socio-spatial environment. Sport was a target for getting
out their negative energy.
The design started in a normal playground way, but
it has been flexible, as each day a new problem comes out to the surface and the
design has been changing and may change further into the future. Some problems
that occurred in the site had
to be solved in a very strict way for dealing sometimes with a junior criminal
not a normal child. The project breaks down the barriers and professionalism in
planning and urban design. Each day a new way of thinking comes out to cope
with the children’s
different way of life. The project was one of the most unique experiences that
come once a lifetime which is why it has to be taken into consideration and
application
for the sake of others.
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- Website : http:///www.anaelmasry.org/
- Notes : My Role in the project was just the designer as a volunteer, with no share in the partnership of the private foundation.
- Project start : 0200
- Project end : 0201
- Contact Person : Germin Farouk El Gohary (Ain Shams University) Department of Urban Design and Planning
- Funding Agency : I the Egyptian Foundation
- Project Partners : I the Egyptian Foundation
- Project structure : The research project consists of 5 main parts; first was reviewing Green and brown agendas, looking through Rapid risk Egyptian urbanization. The second part was studying the wild users? (Street children) behavior and demands and the Egyptian problem definition of slums area. This part of the research needed a deep look through past researches and interviews with the children themselves. The third part was starting the project steps going through the different sustainable landscape solutions that match the wild children demands and needs. The fourth part was testing the project with a sample of ten children through few months.
- Location : Egypt, Giza, lat : 30.013055700000000000 - lng : 31.208852600000000000 address : Giza, Al Omraneyah, Giza, Egypt
