Egypt’s 37 New Cities Ease Population Pressure on Cairo

Egypt’s development of 37 new cities has helped ease the pressure of continued population growth and urban overcrowding, particularly in Cairo.

The expansion is presented as a crucial response to the strain on existing urban areas. Without new cities to accommodate growth, the capital would have faced an even more severe concentration of people and buildings.

The brief account singles out fourth-generation cities as an especially important part of that effort, describing the wider new-city programme as having averted a serious urban crisis.

The central issue is where a growing population can live. Creating urban communities beyond established centres offers an alternative to adding further density to already crowded areas.

The account does not provide figures on how many residents have moved to the new cities or quantify their impact on congestion in Cairo. Its assessment rests on their role in providing room for urban expansion.