Evaluation of Egypt’s National Urban Policies and their Role in Addressing Urban Poverty

There is a correlation between poverty and national urban policies (NUPs), and there is no doubt that poverty reduction is the objective of all states. So Poverty, which reflects the reduction and decline of the standards of living of the people, is a reflection of the failure of development policies, whereas NUPs are a tool for implementing socio-economic policies and the results of which are directly reflected in the poverty rates, So it is necessary to evaluate these NUPs by answering a fundamental question: have the urban policies adopted by the State led to poverty alleviation?

For Egypt, it has adopted several policies for urban development at various periods, to address the development’s issues, one of the most important of these issues is the phenomenon of urban poverty, which today has become one of the most important issues to urban development, hence the widespread of urban poverty in Egyptian Cities and the high poverty rates in it reflects the imbalance and failure of Egypt’s NUPs, which requires evaluating these policies to identify weaknesses and imbalances, as well as the speed of intervention during the reformulation of policies that promote urban development and alleviate urban poverty, this is in view of the current State's adoption of making NUP.

The main objective of the research is to evaluate the role of Egypt’s NUPs in reducing urban poverty by the following:

-Presentation of Egypt's NUPs and its role in the alleviation of urban poverty.

-Evaluate various NUPs and programs and their role in poverty alleviation by citing some of the world's leading experiences in this field.

-Formulate the necessary considerations in formulating Egypt’s NUPs to address urban poverty (using lessons learned from global experiences in this field).

Poverty is one of the major issues facing the world, which has enormous and complex proportions, consequently, there is no unified concept of poverty, as many jurisprudence overlaps at many points due to the researchers' differences, as well as differences between poverty forms and manifestations in different societies and times [1].

5.1 Definition of urban poverty

Poverty is defined as a multifaceted social phenomenon, not only lack of income or even a scarcity of employment opportunities but also a marginalization of a class of society [2].

The World Bank [3] has defined the concept of poverty as the inability to achieve a minimum standard of living as well as the inability to obtain resources and getting opportunities.

Urban poverty is a poverty closely related to the shortcomings in the human development process, it can be defined as poverty resulting from overcrowding in urban areas leading to reduces benefits of urban life like the best services and higher incomes in general [4].

Poverty indicators are higher in urban than in rural areas due to several reasons, the most important of which is an increase in rural-urban migration flow in search of job opportunities and a better standard of living.

Urban poverty means not only the urban deterioration of the city, but also the deterioration of all the various phenomena and aspects associated with it: living conditions, environment, health, clean water, sanitation, services, roads and employment opportunities ... etc.

Urban poverty is an issue resulting from urbanization growth in deteriorated areas, as well as the neglect and failure of development in some urban areas, this turns urbanization into a burden on economic development gains [5].

5.2 Causes of poverty

Several factors and causes contribute to the spread of poverty, including natural disasters, economic scarcity or misuse of resources, such as widespread ignorance, illiteracy and deteriorating health conditions, development policies adopted by the State, such as the concentration of services and activities in a region or major city, following is a summary of the most important causes of poverty:

5.2.1 Natural causes

There are natural causes that may constitute poverty, such as natural disasters earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, droughts and desertification, as well as a range of artificial elements such as environmental degradation and the impoverishment of the concept of environmental security by developing countries, all of which lead to people's impoverishment of their impact on urban [6].

5.2.2 Economic causes

Poverty appears as a result of low economic levels resulting from weak economic activities and economic stagnation, as well as a lack of diversity in economic opportunities and activities and low rates of economic growth, and thus high unemployment rates, which cause a decline in the income level of both the individual and the family, which ultimately reflects the inability to meet the basic needs of the individual or family and thus poverty.

5.2.3 Social causes

One of the most important social causes that exacerbate poverty is the following:

-Population growth, where population growth puts pressure on resources and the environment, and affects the quality of life, especially if it is among the people living in poverty [7].

-The insufficient basic services provided to members of society [8].

5.3 Manifestations of urban poverty

Poverty has multiple manifestations in urban areas, which is a negative factor that exacerbates and further deteriorates the situation. If there are certain urban manifestations that indicate deterioration, and the following are the most important manifestations of urban poverty:

5.3.1 Physical manifestations

Poverty reflects directly on the urban characteristics of Egyptian Cities and this is clearly reflected in urban, which reflects a deteriorating urban environment in which elements of good urban life are not available, because of the widespread urban poverty in most Egyptian Cities, and the most important urban manifestations of poverty in Egyptian Cities are the following:

• Slums

Egypt's rapid urban growth as a result of increased urban population and unplanned migration has led to the emergence of informal urban growth, which has led to the unprecedented emergence of slums in most Egyptian Cities to the extent that these slums make poverty belts surrounding cities and ancient districts [9]. The poor live in slums, because of the easy to get house and access to facilities in an illegal and cheap way.

Slums are one of the greatest manifestations of urban poverty in Egyptian Cities, which are hotbeds of poverty inside and around Egyptian Cites. in 2013, Egypt had 1150 slum areas for about 15 million people, of which 351 are unsafe slums, and the area of slums in some of Egypt’s Cities amounts to 70% of the city's area [10].

• Low Housing Levels

This is illustrated by the study of the characteristics of the housing of the poor, where the poor are concentrated in houses with temporary roofs and walls.

• Rising Population Density and The Lack of Green Areas

The population density in Egyptian urban areas has increased significantly - particularly in major cities - According to the 2006 census, Cairo had a population density of about 41,000 persons per square kilometer, while in European capitals it ranges from 8,000 to 12,000, that is Cairo's density is about five times that of Western capitals., and this severe human accumulation has a significant impact on the overall quality of urban life. Green spaces lacking in most Egyptian cities are an important element of proper urban formation [11].

• Poor Connection with Facilities and Services

Poor people suffer from a lack of basic services and facilities for reasons related to the illegality of construction in poor areas, which do not fall within the priorities of local authorities [6].

• Rising Overcrowding Rates

The rate of overcrowding in poor areas is high as a reflection of the pattern of families and the size of poor families, as the poor often belong to large families.

5.3.2 Social manifestations

There is a close correlation between high crime rates and violence with poverty, the high and increasing rate of youth unemployment, the disintegration of the family as a result of poverty or often as a side effect, the ineffectiveness of education systems, and researches indicate a global increase in juvenile crime rates, particularly among the urban poor [12], in addition to the widespread phenomenon of child labor among the poor because of the inability of their parents to bear Education expenses due to low income.

Epidemiological or deterioration of health is also one of the main manifestations and consequences of poverty [13], with poverty mortality rate was about one-third of the world's deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics in 2009.

5.3.3 Economical manifestations

The economic sector is one of the most important issues of poverty, poverty cannot be separated from the economy since poverty is closely linked to low income levels and job opportunities, and hence the economic manifestations of poverty in Egyptian Cities can be identified in the following:

• Low Income Level

Poverty is a complex issue, as it is a function of income and prices of goods and services, where poor families can't easily meet basic needs as a result of low incomes, where income is one of the basic pillars of the family that shows the economic level of each family, income instability is closely linked to the presence of work.

• Rising Unemployment Rate

High unemployment rates in society increase poverty rates, and the private sector's inability to meet a proportion of the growing demand for a job opportunity, and the urban poor usually work as temporary low-wage workers, in agriculture or in the informal sector, or are unemployed, due to employment opportunities' unavailability or incompatible with their low level of education and lack of potential [6].

• The Lack of Diversity in Economic Activities

Most Egyptian Cities have one economic activity that is agriculture, where 47.4% of all Egyptian cities have the main activity of agricultural activity, in addition to the fact that 45.4% of all Egyptian cities are in the initial activities phase, according to the report of the Central Agency For Public Mobilization And Statistics in 2016 [14], indicating the weakness of the economic structure of Egyptian cities, thus affecting high poverty rates.

• Stability of the Economic Functions of Egyptian Cities

One study measured the functional transformations of Egyptian Cities, and the results are that 56% of Egyptian Cities are functionally stable, indicating a decline and a decrease in the rate of growth of economic employment, and a decline in the rate of creating new jobs, as well as a decline in the growth rate of economic and service establishments [15].

5.3.4 Environmental manifestations

There is a strong relationship between poverty and environmental pollution.

Urban slums suffer from the prevalence of most forms of pollution such as air, water and audiovisual pollution, where the urban poor suffer serious health risks.

Poor urban settlements often form in city centers near environmentally unsafe areas, such as landfills or industrial sites, where the people are particularly vulnerable to serious health consequences, although access to health care in urban areas has improved, morbidity and death rates are higher for people living in urban slums than in rural areas [12], so the problem of urban poverty overlaps with the problem of environmental degradation.

Table 1 shows the main manifestations of urban poverty in Egypt.

Table 1. Manifestations of urban poverty

5.4 Relationship of urban poverty with urban growth

Egypt has experienced a wave of rapid urban growth associated with urban poverty, in fact, Egypt’s urban growth problems lie in unplanned growth, so wide and rapid urban growth results in an increasing number of slums and poor people, as well as increased unemployment rates, social inequalities, discrimination and violence, which ultimately reflects on high indicators of urban poverty [16].

It is worth mentioning that the high rates of urbanization witnessed by Egypt are accompanied by low rates of economic growth, which causes the phenomenon of urbanization, which makes a tendency to consider urbanization in Egypt as a hindrance to development unlike developed countries, and therefore urbanization has lost its importance as a means of spreading growth and development, and the most serious problem for urban growth in Egyptian Cities without effective urban management is the phenomenon of urban poverty.

Figure 1 shows the evolution of urban growth rate in Egypt, where it was 30.3% in 1960, to be 42.8% in 2016. That reflects the rapid, unplanned urban growth in Egypt, which lead to more pressure on the facilities and services, as well as increasing the demand for job opportunities and thus increasing unemployment rates, finally leading to a rise in urban poverty in Egypt's cities.

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Figure 1. Increasing of urban growth rates in Egypt (1960-2016) [17]

The research is primarily aimed to evaluate the role of Egypt’s NUPs in addressing urban poverty issues, have they achieved poverty reduction? To achieve this, it is necessary to review some indicators of poverty and the numbers of poor people in Egypt, as well as to monitor and measure the phenomenon of urban poverty in some Egyptian Cities (case studies), as follows:

7.1 Numbers and proportions of the poor people in Egypt

The latest poverty estimates in 2019/2020 have found that 29.7% of Egypt's population is poor [21]. The poverty rate in Egypt has increased from 21.6% of the total population in 2008/2009 to 25.2% of the total population in 2010/2011, then it increased to 26.3% of the total population in 2012/2013 and reached 32.5% of the total population in 2017/2018, then decreased to 29.7% in 2019/2020 [22], as shown in Figure 2.

Extreme poverty rates fluctuate, reaching their highest rate at 6.2 in 2017/2018 and then declining to 4.5 in 2019/2020.

It is worth mentioning that the poverty and extreme poverty rates in Egypt decreased in 2019/2020 [23], this reflects that the policies recently adopted by Egypt may succeed in reducing poverty rates in Egypt in the future.

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Figure 2. Evolution of poverty rates in Egypt 1999-2020 [22]

7.2 The Phenomenon of urban poverty in some Egyptian cities

In addition to poverty statistics, a series of indicators reflecting urban poverty have been adopted and reviewed in some Egyptian Cities (case studies). The cities of Assiut governorate were selected as a case study because it is the poorest governorate in Egypt, over different periods, according to 2011 statistic and the latest statistic of the poor in Egypt's governorates for 2017/2018, Assuit governorate was 66.7% that is the highest percentage [24], as shown in Figure 3.

Assiut city was excluded from the study due to its administrative and regional role as the capital of the governorate and therefore needs to be studied with certain similar cities, as well as New Assiut city because it is a new city and therefore its data are not available in some time periods, and was satisfied with studying the rest of the cities of the province due to their similarity in the characteristics of the society, economic and physical.

There are many indicators reflecting the most important manifestations of urban poverty in Egypt, a set of indicators was selected as shown in Table 2 due to the availability of its data over different periods of time, thus tracking the phenomenon of poverty.

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Figure 3. The proportion of poor in Egypt's governorates for periods of time (2011-2013-2018) [24]

Table 2. Indicators used to measure the phenomenon of urban poverty Assiut governorate’s cities

By reviewing the results of urban poverty indicators in sample cities, the following were found:

Overall, the proportion of the poor population in Assiut governorate’s cities increased in 2017, with the highest proportion of the poor population in El-Ghanim City reaching 51.9% of the total population, as shown in Figure 4.

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Figure 4. Poverty rates in Assiut governorate’s cities in 2017 [25]

Physical Indicators

• Overcrowding Rates: High overcrowding rates in Assiut governorate’s cities although improved between 1996 and 2017, they remain high, reaching their highest value in the city of El Ghanaim with 1.55 individuals/room, as shown in Figure 5.

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Figure 5. Overcrowding rates in Assiut governorate’s cities (1996-2017) [26]

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Figure 6. Shanty House Rate in governorate’s cities (1996-2017) [26]

• Shanty House Rate: There has been a decrease in the proportion of Shanty house rate in the governorate’s cities, especially in 2017, as shown in Figure 6.

• The rate of Households that Have Drinking Water Connection: Most of the households in Assiut governorate have a drinking water connection, and there has been significant improvement in this indicator from 1996 to 2017, as shown in Figure 7.

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Figure 7. Rate of Households that have drinking water connection in Assiut governorate’s cities (1996-2017) [26]

• The Rate of Households that Have Sanitation connection: These rates decreased significantly from 1996 to 2017, but it is increased for 3 cities only in 2017, namely, Al-Quseya, Abu Tig and Badari, reflecting the low standard of living and poverty of the governorate's cities, as shown in Figure 8.

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Figure 8. Rate of Households that have Sanitation connection in Assiut cities [26]

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Figure 9. Unemployment rates in governorate’s cities (1996-2017) [26]

Economic Indicators:

• Unemployment Rates: it has been increased significantly in Assiut governorate’s cities in 2017, particularly the city of El-Ghanim, where the unemployment rate reached 63%, indicating a low level of income in the cities of the governorate, which is reflected in the high poverty rates in the cities of the governorate, as shown in Figure 9.

• GDP average per capita index: An improvement in average GDP per capita at the governorate cities level, as shown in Figure 10.

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Figure 10. GDP average per capita index in Assiut cities [27]

• GDP Index: A significant drop in the GDP index in 2015 from 2003 for all cities in the governorate, indicating a deteriorating economic situation in most cities in the governorate, as shown in Figure 11.

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Figure 11. GDP index in Assiut governorate’s cities [27]

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Figure 12. Illiteracy rates in Assiut governorate’s cities (1996-2017) [26]

Social Indicators

• Illiteracy Rates: Although there was an improvement in illiteracy rate between 1996 and 2017, illiteracy rates remain high, with the highest illiteracy rate in Manflot city reaching 36.4% in 2017, as shown in Figure 12.

• Education Index: A somewhat improved index of governorate cities in 2015 than in 2003, as shown in Figure 13.

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Figure 13. Education index in Assiut governorate’s cities [27]

• Human Development Index (HDI): An indicator created by the United Nations (UN) indicating the level of well-being of the world's peoples, a statistically composite indicator of life expectancy, education and per capita income indicator, the Human Development Index study of Assiut governorate’s cities in 2003 and 2015 shows a significant decline in the human development index reflecting the low state of cities and high poverty rates, and a low-value record in 2015 in El-Ghanim City, as shown in Figure 14.

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Figure 14. Human Development Index (HDI) in Assiut governorate’s cities

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Figure 15. Life expectancy at birth in Assiut governorate’s cities [27]

•   Life Expectancy Index at Birth: This indicator is lower in 2017 than in 2013 in all cities of the governorate except Qussia city, reflecting the low level of health care in the governorate's cities, as shown in Figure 15.

• Life Expectancy Index: There has been a slight development in this indicator for some cities in the governorate, while for other cities, the life expectancy index for 2015 is lower than in 2003, as shown in Figure 16.

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Figure 16. Life expectancy index in Assiut governorate’s cities [27]

By analyzing selected urban poverty indicators in sample cities, the following were found:

The analysis of urban poverty measurement in the cities of Assiut governorate shows that the urban development policies adopted by Egypt before 2000 have no clear impact on reducing poverty rates, but after 2000 there was a slight improvement in some indicators, but the numbers and proportions of the poor continue to increase, reflecting that urban poverty continues to worsen in most Egyptian cities.

This part of the research is interested in studying some of the global experiences of some countries to understand about policies addressing urban development issues, especially urban poverty, and the reflection of these policies on reducing urban poverty, in preparation for the formulation of the most important considerations to be taken into account in the formulation of Egypt's NUPs to address the issue of urban poverty.

Some foundations have been relied upon in the selection of experiments, the most important of which is that the state is extent similar to Egypt in some urban development issues, as well as the use of some experiences of developed countries that have achieved success in eradicating or alleviating poverty, as its results will be used, which will directly reflect on how to support the methodologies of Egypt’s NUPs-making, so that they are effective and ensure the adaptation to crises and future risks expected from development issues, particularly urban poverty.

9.1 Malaysia experiment

Malaysia has been one of the most extremely poor countries, but because of the Government’s enormous efforts, poverty has been alleviated. Urbanization is the main cause of urban poverty in Malaysia, with urbanization rising from 27% of the total population in 1970 to 71% in 2010, resulting in urban areas not being able to absorb the dramatic population increase.

The most important manifestations of poverty in Malaysia are the spread of slums on the coasts of Malaysia and within Malaysian Cities, as well as high unemployment rates.

9.1.1 Malaysia’s NUPs in addressing urban poverty

Malaysia has adopted urban policies that succeeded in reducing urban poverty rates.

The government has implemented specific programs, within its philosophy and policies geared toward urban poverty, the most important of which are

• Adopt a New Model of Network instead of Hierarchy Model in the City System

The government is adopting the network system in the InterCity System, rather than hierarchy system, so that each city played a developmental role within its network, leading to actual development for all cities within the network [28].

• Achieving Malaysia's Promising Economic Development

Malaysia has adopted several economic reform policies that have played a leading and effective role in achieving strong and promising economic development in Malaysia. Since the implementation of the New Economic Policy (NEP) 1971-1990, Malaysia has made significant progress in eradicating poverty, creating new jobs that have helped reduce unemployment and thereby reduce poverty rates, thus establishing sustainable economic growth.

• Focusing on Small and Micro-Projects

Such projects play a major role in supporting the local economy and are commensurate with the skills of the poor, due to reducing poverty rates.

• Adopting Policies that Support Poor in Malaysian Society

The policy has adopted a range of programs that support the poor in society and provide their basic needs, such as the Development Program for The Poorest Families, the Malaysia Choice Secretariat program, as well as interest-free loans to the poor that enable them to purchase housing [18].

• Upgrading of Slums

Malaysia has been interested in eliminating the most important manifestations of urban poverty that are slums, by developing a plan to eliminate slums through clearance or upgrading. The government carried out many slum clearance on the Malaysian coast, and rebuilt these slums in line with site Properties, and in view of the State's economic and urban development plan [29], as well as providing infrastructure facilities and services in poor remote areas. So the linking of economic and urban development in one policy is the key issue in solving urban poverty.

9.1.2 Reflection of Malaysia's NUPs on urban poverty

Malaysia's Experiment is most successful poverty eradication, because of Malaysian government adopted policies that could reduce urban poverty, rates from 25.5% in 1970 to 3.8% in 2019, and Figure 17 shows the historical development of Malaysia's poverty rates from 1970 to 2019 [30].

The Most Important Factors for the Success of Malaysia's Experiment are

- Relying on the network system of intercity relations rather than the hierarchy system has led to the real development of poor cities, where a development role has been assigned to these cities, leading to their development and reduced poverty rates.

- Malaysia has adopted several economic reform policies that have played a leading and effective role in achieving strong economic development and reducing poverty rates, which reflects the key role of reform policies in reducing poverty rates.

-One of the most important factors in Malaysia's Experiment in addressing urban poverty is its interest in integrating the dimensions of social, economic and urban development, as follows:

• Malaysia has taken an interest in social aspects by targeting support for the poor.
• The policies focused on strengthening economic development and achieving strong economic development in Malaysia.
• In addition to taking an interest in urban development through the improvement of the system of network of intercity relations, and upgrading slums, that helped create a better urban environment.

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Figure 17. Part A and B Malaysia's poverty rates (1970 to 2019) [31]

9.2 Saudi Arabia experiment

There is great similarity in most urban development issues between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and the most important causes of urban poverty in Saudi Arabia is the high population, as in 1970, there were about 6 million people and rose to more than 32 million today, as well as high rates of urbanization.

The manifestations of urban poverty in Saudi Cities are represented by the spread of slums, low levels of housing, lack of services, pressure on facilities and services in some cities, high unemployment rates.

Saudi Arabia ranked 10th in the world in the poverty rate and is the first Arab country in terms of the lowest poverty rate in the Middle East, according to a recent World Bank poverty report [32], with a poverty rate of 12.3% in Saudi Arabia, according to 2017 statistics [33]. But unofficial estimates indicate that the proportion of the poor is 25% of the population, and the poverty rate may continue rising in Saudi Arabia coincides with the high unemployment rate among youth.

9.2.1 Saudi Arabia’s NUPs in addressing urban poverty

Poverty was one of the most important issues adopted by Saudi Arabia’s NUPs, and this was clearly reflected in the policy orientations, and the policy relied mainly on two entrances: achieving economic diversity, and creating the axes of urban development, also the policy focused on the need to improve and develop poor cities to alleviate poverty.

First: Achieving economic diversity:

• Achieving economic diversification, thereby creating many new and diverse jobs to reduce unemployment and raise incomes, thereby alleviating poverty.
• The Economic and Social Reform Program 2030, which relied on plans to reduce dependence on petrol only as an economic resource, by implementing many investments in other industries and economic activities [34].
• Relying on creating and new economic activities that did not contribute in the Saudi economy before, such as tourism and mining activities.

Second: The axes of urban development:

The policy relied on the creation of axes for urban development by proposing a set of existing and proposed axes, with the aim of spreading development throughout the vast kingdom, especially poor areas.

These axes link the proposed growth centers to the areas of existing and proposed economic activities, and through these axes many poor cities that played no development role or strong economic base and high rates of urban poverty was developed by proposing these cities, as growth centers [35].

9.2.2 Reflection of Saudi Arabia's NUPs on urban poverty

• Following the implementation of NUPs proposed by Saudi Arabia, development will be deployed in most parts of the Kingdom through urban development axes, thus alleviating urban poverty for Saudi Arabia’s dilapidated poor cities, which have been proposed as growth centers to achieve their development and poverty alleviation.
• The economic diversification and economic growth that Saudi Arabia is now seeking to be achieved, which will create many and varied jobs, thereby reducing youth unemployment rates as well as reducing poverty rates.

The most important outcome of the research contributes to strengthening the formulation of Egypt’s NUPs to address one of the most important constraints of urban development, urban poverty, where the results focused on the most important axes leading to the alleviation of urban poverty in Egypt, as follows:

• Strengthening the economic sector of Egyptian cities, which creates new jobs, reduce unemployment and thus reduces poverty rates:

The analysis of the economic situation of Egyptian cities revealed that most of them are agricultural and single-active cities, reflecting the recession and economic vulnerability of most Egyptian cities. In view of the strong relationship between poverty and income level, it is necessary to strengthen the economic sector of Egyptian cities by adopting policies that achieve both economic growth and economic diversity.

• Not focusing on the development of some limited cities only, while neglecting and depriving the rest of the Egyptian cities:

The results of the analysis of Egypt’s NUPs show that the concentration of development in certain cities has had the greatest impact on the prevalence of urban poverty in most Egyptian cities. This has resulted in the concentration of activities, investments, and services in a limited number of cities and poverty in the rest of the cities. Thus, the focus needs to be on the dissemination of development in all cities in order to alleviate urban poverty in Egyptian cities.

• Assigning development roles to poor cities and working to qualify them for a developmental role, so that they can achieve development and get out of poverty:

This category of cities must be monitored, identified and assigned development roles in the light of their capacities and components; A study of the network of functional, complementary and interactive relationships between them and the surrounding cities and communities and work towards the realization of the bloc's economies, as well as the need to propose and allocate NUPs for the development of poor cities, where the lack of attention to their development has led to their deterioration and persistence of poverty at different stages of time until these cities become spots of poverty.

• Eradicating poverty by eliminating its causes and manifestations such as the elimination of slums, the provision of basic services to people like education, health:

Slums are the most important manifestations of urban poverty in Egyptian cities. They are informal areas in where the poor live. Slums suffer from shortages and deprivation of basic services for their inhabitants. They also contain degraded housing areas that do not meet the basic requirements of the standard living.

• Egypt's NUPs need to adopt economic reform policies, as it is the key to solving poverty issues, this is due to closely linking economic growth to lower-income rates:

This was clear by the study of global experiences, where experiences focused on the economic aspect and gave considerable attention to NUPS to address poverty, stressing the need to adopt policies that support economic growth so that it is able to sustain and grow.

• Integration of social, economic, and urban development must be achieved in order to achieve real development whose results are reflected in reducing poverty rates, in the view of the following:

• Egypt's NUPs overlook this integration, reflecting the worsening and complexity of urban development issues, the most important of which is urban poverty.
• The legal point of view adopted by the new proposed planning law is an attempt that has already taken place to achieve this integration.