Kharita 01: Symposium on Urban Trajectories in Cairo
Friday, January 16th, 2009
The process of inhabiting the desert transgresses a fundamental interdiction of settlement. Market expansion and real estate construction has succeeded in invading a void, which had thus far resisted occupation. This achievement is a strong indication of the leverage of private development. Open to the world, the elite can afford to transcend their local boundaries and domesticate this hostile environment. But this privilege is not simply based on material and financial resources. It entails converting to a newer myth: the neoliberal dogma. Abandoning the social diversity of the city, the elite opt for a globalised milieu. The move to gated communities outside the city walls separates the elite from those who lack the means of such mobility. This presentation analyses the articulation between the emergence of new regulations, new narratives and the massive adhesion to the development of a new urban space.

Kharita / pericentreprojects.org
English / 00:25:09.407 / 157 MB / Ogg Theora/Vorbis - 640x368/Stereo

Help with watching the video