[audiobook] Landscape as Infrastructure: A Base Primer by Pierre Belanger in Arts-Photography

Description

The Emerging Politics of (Re) making Cairos Old Quarters examines postcolonial planning practices that aimed to modernise Cairorsquo;s urban spaces. The author examines the expanding field of postcolonial urbanism by linking the statersquo;s political ideologies and systems of governance with methods of spatial representations that aimed to transform the urban realm in Cairo. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach; the study draws on planning; history and politics to develop a distinctive account of postcolonial planning in Cairo following Egyptrsquo;s 1952 revolution. The book widely connects the ideological role of a different type of politicised urbanism practised during the days of Nasser; Sadat and Mubarak and the overarching policies; institutions and attitudes involved in the visions for (re) building a new nation in Egypt.By examining the notion of remaking urban spaces; the study interprets the ambitions and powers of state policies for improving the spatial qualities of Cairorsquo;s old districts since the early 20th century. These acts are situated in their spatial; political and historical contexts of Cairorsquo;s heterogeneous old quarters and urban spaces particularly the remaking of one of the cityrsquo;s older quarts named Bulaq Abul Ela established during the Ottoman rule in the thirteenth century. It therefore writes; in a chronological sequence; a narrative through time and space connecting various layers of historical and contemporary political phases for remaking Bulaq. The endeavor is to explain this process from a spatial perspective in terms of the implications and consequences not only on places; but also on the peoplersquo;s everyday practices. By deeply investigating the problems and consequences; the strengths and weaknesses; and the statersquo;s reliability to achieve the remaking objectives; the book reveals evidence that shifting forms of governance had anchored planning practices into a narrow path of creativity and responsive planning.