Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

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Ain Shams Engineering Journal

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Exploring the singularity of smart cities in the New Administrative

Capital City, Egypt
Hisham Abusaada a, Abeer Elshater b, Rowaida Rashed b,⇑
a
Housing and Building National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
b
Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The concepts of ‘city singularity’ and ‘smartness’ were utilised as a guide for writing this article, along
Received 24 October 2022 with other elements, such as personality, identity, and character. We used a descriptive-analytical
Revised 24 November 2022 research methodology. According to our scoping review, urban form and everyday life have much in com-
Accepted 6 December 2022
mon. This study identified 13 factors in four categories to analyse the urban form of Egypt’s New
Available online 28 December 2022
Administrative Capital City, while ignoring lifestyle, since the city is still under construction. A framework
for developing the singularity of capital cities is presented in our results, as a means of increasing the
Keywords:
city’s singularity across its urban forms. By applying the four keys and the factors of singularity, this arti-
Character
Lifestyle
cle concludes with a framework for enhancing the urban structure of smart cities. It was also suggested
Identity that the smart city concept could provide new directions for designing unique capital cities worldwide.
Personality Ó 2022 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Ain Shams University. This is an
Urban form open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
NACC

1. Introduction In this research, ’city singularity’ highlights the uniqueness of a

city among other cities, giving it a prestigious position as a city of
Gaining a deeper understanding of the connections between value [11–13]. The implementation of this singularity based on a
personality, identity, and character can provide valuable insight city’s urban shape, visitor satisfaction, and visual image has been
into similarities and differences across cities [1–4]. Recently, embraced by several planned capital cities throughout the globe
philosophers adopted the term ‘singularity’ to describe similarities [14]. Examples include stressing the ideals of the emerging
between cities. City planners and urban design theorists differenti- nation-states of Chandigarh [15], Islamabad [16], Abuja [17],
ated the singularities of cities based on variations in urban form Astana [18], and NACC [19].
features, such as the clarity of landmarks [5], artefacts [6] and Numerous urban geographers, psychologists, and sociologists
unique aesthetic qualities [7]. Other scholars find similar singular- have addressed personality [20,21], identity [20,22,5,23] and char-
ities based on the daily features of cities, such as Vienna and Graz acter [24,25] to explain similarities and differences. Many terms in
in Austria, which have distinct identities [8,9], and Memphis, Ten- urban studies based on these three concepts have been developed
nessee in USA which is experiencing a bicycle boom [10]. from these ideas. Examples of these ideas are given for city identity
[3], urban identity [26,27], local identity [3,28], place identity
[25,29,8], neighbourhood unit personality [30,18], neighbourhood
Abbreviations: 5+ UDC, 5+ Urban Development Consortium; ICT, Information and unit identity [31], neighbourhood unit character [32], place charac-
Communication Technologies; NACC, New Administrative Capital City; SJR, Scimago teristics [33,10], common singularity [34], space singularity [7] and
Journal and Country Rank. city singularity are terms that refer to changes in the features of
⇑ Corresponding author.
the urban form [2,21,33,35,36] and everyday lifestyle
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (H. Abusaada), abeer.elshater@eng.
asu.edu.eg (A. Elshater), [email protected] (R. Rashed). [30,29,8,1,10].
Peer review under responsibility of Ain Shams University. Conducting a comparison of cities is authoritative and relevant.
Although urban form and daily life are inextricably linked to four
concepts: personality, identity, character, and singularity, how-
ever, few studies have investigated the unity and compliance of
Production and hosting by Elsevier these terms in urban planning and urban design. The answer to

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2022.102087
2090-4479/Ó 2022 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Ain Shams University.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

this issue is to identify similarities between these ideas and syn- design is strategic, it intends to accomplish a national objective
thesise them to extract keys that will enable city planners or (the new republic) that necessitates symbolic distinctiveness to gain
designers to formulate recommendations for their future realisa- a prominent place among other capital cities. Master planning is
tion. Thus, this study thoroughly examines the similarities based on starting from scratch and using individual components at
between the four ontological notions prevalent in the literature the level of urban form, which is what the city’s master plan does.
on urban studies. In this manner, we can extract the key to the During the building phase, technical reports give information that
analysis of city singularity. can be used to compare city plans with many city visits.
Since the conversation about the inevitable transformation of Egypt’s NACC intends to alleviate the suffering of the population
current and future cities into smart cities started, we have been on the one hand and improve economic, social, and political effi-
intrigued by smart cities and how they impact the development ciency on the other through a comprehensive plan that adheres
of capital cities. This term needs to be explained, partly due to its to the concepts of sustainable, green, walkable, liveable, connected,
interaction with contemporaneous concepts such as competitive- smart, and business districts (Fig. 1) [40,41]. NACC is a new admin-
ness, liveability, socio-technical aspects, and sustainable cities istrative and economic centre [42]. The area planned for the metro-
[37]. Regarding ambiguity, it was acknowledged at all levels of polis was initially 170,000 feddans1 and has been extended to
practice. The issue today is whether this notion relates to architec- 184,000 feddans. In its last stage in 2050, it is planned to house up
ture, urban planning, urban design, or city planning. Is it conceiv- to 6.5 million inhabitants; specifically, the first phase can accommo-
able to build a smart city at the scale of urban form? Specific date up to 1.5 million people over 40,000 feddans. NACC has already
definitions of smart cities were examined to address these two begun to house residents in 2021 [41].
problems, which, according to several thinkers, still needed more The master plan consists of three phases. The first phase, cover-
specificity and clarification. Others, on the other hand, have ing an area of 40,000 feddans, comprises eight residential districts
decided on a definition. and includes the diplomatic quarter and the presidential palace
This article addresses smart cities using information and com- area, which are separated by the government district, including
munication technologies (ICT) to improve urban services’ quality, the city of arts and culture, the investment district, and the govern-
performance, and efficiency, including energy, utilities, and trans- ment district. The second phase covers 47,000 feddans and
portation, to reduce resource consumption, waste, and cost includes residential areas and the airport. The third phase encom-
[38,39]. Here, we argue that smart cities primarily focus on urban passes 97,000 feddans (Fig. 2). This concept’s visual image blends
plans that should lead to unique city shapes. materials and natural components as it optimises the architectural
This article provides a framework for cities that adopt smart tech- context. It sets up historical (past) and sustainable (future) paths
nologies and produce intelligent forms to enhance their imageabil- and a city hierarchy (the present). A tour begins near the fountain
ity. In addition, these technologies can enhance the city’s and ends in the city centre. The Opera House and its service area
singularity, character, and identity. This study discovers the keys include the university town (the Knowledge City), the smart vil-
required to investigate and develop city singularity in new develop- lage, the railway station, the commercial district, the central busi-
ments, using the four ontological concepts and their 13 variants. We ness district, and the medical city. The conference centre, Al-Masa
aim to determine whether combining these keys to describe similar- Hotel, and the exhibition grounds are also visible.
ities and differences in cities remains relevant. This study also gives NACC was planned to create a globally integrated and, at the
these ideas to city planners and developers, who want to learn more same time, locally responsive city. The idea behind NACC’s urban
about city singularity, and practitioners, who want to boost its value. planning is to combine smart and small districts (called ‘valleys’)
The study contributes significantly to the global literature, into a megacity connected by the Green River and massive infras-
regarding the commonalities between personality, identity, char- tructure networks.
acter, and the singularity of smart cities. Moreover, we evaluate NACC responds to global development demands and world eco-
the factors that could be attributed to the distinctiveness of NACC nomic forces. The plan was to cover high-technology and export-
using these keys in terms of urban form. In terms of originality, this oriented production requirements, corporate office complexes,
study is the first step towards an in-depth knowledge of city singu- and world-renowned cultural institutions. The design includes sig-
larity. The literature on ontological and epistemological analyses nificant media hubs, upscale leisure and entertainment opportuni-
has not previously employed a theoretical framework based on ties, and extensive mass transit networks. These services should
commonalities between personality, identity, character, and singu- have a prominent skyline and a distinct identity, be globally inte-
larity. Thus, this research contributes to the literature on city sim- grated, and not be marginalised. These aspirations inevitably called
ilarity and suggests practical applications, concerning the new for large-scale, spread-out planning. At the same time, one of the
capital city of Egypt, to offer a realistic picture of city singularity. main objectives was to create a sustainable, liveable, and locally
Furthermore, this study serves as a reference for related research, responsive city that relates to its direct surroundings and is where
given the exploration of the commonalities between three ontolog- people enjoy their daily lives. This meant that the plan for the
ical concepts, namely, personality, identity, and character. These megacity had to include smart districts (valleys) that were planned
concepts are used synonymously to investigate similarities closely together and were set up along the 35-km Green River.
between cities. Despite the fact that this study focuses mainly on These compact districts achieve sustainability through land-
urban form, the relative importance of everyday life experiences use, environmental, institutional, social, and economic policies.
is notably and strongly dependent on the spatial organisation of Each compact district has short internal distances, relatively high
the physical elements of the newly-constructed Egyptian capital residential densities, and mixed land uses. They are based on effi-
city. cient public transport systems and an urban layout that encour-
ages walking and cycling, low energy consumption, and thus
reduced pollution. All sustainability aspects are applied in these
2. Methodology compact districts and are operated and controlled using smart
solutions. Thus, the urban planning concept of NACC is a hybrid
2.1. The case study between two types of planning: large-scale, spread-out planning

NACC was selected as a contemporary study example for the fol-

lowing four reasons: As a newly planned capital city, whose urban 1
Fedan is an Egyptian unit of area equal to 1.038 acres

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H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

Fig. 1. Map of Greater Cairo Region showing the location of the NACC. Source: Courtesy of 5+ Urban Development Consortium (5+ UDC).

Fig. 2. The main features of the NACC show the iconic architecture of the central business district and the compactly planned neighbourhoods (valleys) grouped around the
Green River. Source: Courtesy of 5+ UDC. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

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H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

and compact structure, applying the positive aspects of each of the The characteristic 35-km Green River comprises seven central
two planning directions. Because of this kind of integration, the parks that connect the master plan, including socio-cultural, eco-
large-scale plan is closely knit. nomic, and recreational activities. These are classified according
Urban planners and designers adopted the idea of a green city in to three metaphors: history, sustainability, and the city. The histor-
NACC and created a natural oasis connected to and integrated with ical area contains a big fountain, a monument, and the Great Mos-
surrounding projects. Fig. 3 depicts the strategic plan, which que at the forefront of this bustling centre.
includes the Green River, valleys, economic activities, and road The Green River contains an exploration centre, a theatre, land-
networks. scape art, five gardens for wetlands, sculpture, urban agriculture,

Fig. 3. The strategic plan, the Green River, services and activities, road networks, the green belt and the three phases of the city – Source: Courtesy of 5+ UDC. (For
interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

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H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

sports, and an oasis in the sustainability sector [43]. The valleys The search was restricted to English-language literature since
were planned and designed for residential communities based on the materials that covered NACC were not yet accessible. The fact
a structural hierarchy that incorporates traditional and modern that NACC is still under construction makes it difficult to investi-
urbanism. The residential neighbourhood unit is the most signifi- gate everyday life in the city. NACC was planned to be open in
cant planning unit, which depends on the local street as the central 2022, which makes it easier to analyse the urban shape. In this
planning unit and includes individual blocks and land plots. way, the case study’s analysis depends on grey literature such as
Using mobility and communication networks to connect vari- technical reports, notes and specifications, and project and city
ous sectors, neighbourhoods and community services demon- plans. To write this paper, we used the maps of master plan and
strates functional thinking. These road networks, which begin urban form offered in the technical reports, based on the perspec-
with the Green River, serve as the city’s backbone. Footpaths con- tives of the planning and design teams in 5+ UDC.
nect each neighbourhood in the valley to various public spaces that
function as nodes and activities in the Green River. This initiative
3. Theory: Keys and elements of commonalities
considers linking the current pedestrian, cycling and public transit
networks.
The scoping study demonstrates that the commonalities
between personality, identity, character, and singularity are linked
to two issues. The first is that knowledge of this subject is
2.2. Study design
grounded in studies conducted by theorists on urban studies. The
second focuses on the essential components of ontological integra-
The paper presents a scoping study [44–46]. In terms of tech-
tion analysis, which connects foundational works on the
nique, the study is descriptive-analytical in nature. It aims to
knowledge-based characteristics of integration between the four
increase knowledge and understanding among city planners [47]
concepts, that is, aspects used in this review via the 13 elements
by answering the question: Does NACC’s urban form achieve city
and four keys (Appendix 1), which is concluded by presenting a
singularity? In response, we explored the commonalities among
theoretical framework.
the concepts of personality, identity, and character, focusing on
examining similarities between cities. We added city singularity
as the fourth concept alongside smart cities. Accordingly, we 3.1. Descriptive key: Types, phenomena and meaning
designed the study in two phases. Firstly, we explained the rela-
tionship among these ontological concepts to identify their com- Identity types include self-identity [20], personal identity [23]
monalities and determine the reliability of city singularity by and national and regional identities [49,50]. This previous research
referring to the nexus among the four ideas. Finally, we demon- also features city identity, including city characteristics [51,3].
strated the feasibility of using these commonalities to examine Alternatively, urban identity expresses city characteristics
or build the singularity of NACC. [51,52], that is, the memories and personal and socio-cultural sym-
We used a two-stage research approach that included a system- bolic meanings associated with a place [53,51]. The local identity
atic evaluation of the literature and content analysis of the results. reflects the indigenous aesthetic cognition of the built environ-
The most significant literature on personality, identity, character, ment, which closely pertains to cultural and political ideologies
and singularity was initially evaluated in ontological and episte- [28]. Place identity refers to place self-identity: ideas, beliefs, pref-
mological studies. To examine the commonalities between cities, erences, values, and objectives [25,54] that are restricted to a
these studies should include urban form and lifestyle as coexisting neighbourhood [55]. Character comprises environmental character
words in the title or the entire text. Thus, there were 13 compo- [30,33], urban character [25] and places character [33]. Finally,
nents, divided into four keys by ontological and epistemological space singularity [34] and city singularity include aesthetic singu-
research. larity [7].
Using the four epistemological analytical keys, the research per- According to Erikson (1959) [20], personality is an individual
forms subjective analysis in the second phase, which may assist in and social phenomenon and a predetermined order, whereas iden-
attaining this aim. Finally, it examines their applicability to Egypt’s tity is a complex psychological phenomenon expressed in dynamic
NACC. An in-depth review of grey literature, such as publications in individual internal processes. Relph (2007; 1976) [23,56], Dovey
Arabic from Egypt’s Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Com- et al. (2009) [25] and Dovey (2010) [2] review character as an
munities, academic papers, scientific and technical reports, and experiential phenomenon in a place–phenomenology framework.
blogs from online communities, forms the basis for this next stage. Rossi (1982) [6] presents singularity as integrating spatial and soci-
Furthermore, 98 percent of the construction of phase one was etal phenomena. Heidegger (1969) [22] asserts that individuality
planned to be finished by the time the city opened in late 2021. and singularity are very similar to the definition of personality.
That is why we witnessed many different aspects of urban form Erikson (1959) [20] first understood the meaning of identity as
in the city, which confirmed our findings and what had been sug- an equivalent relationship with a persistent sameness with oneself.
gested in the reports. Ivic (2010) [49] argues the lack of a fixed meaning, whereas Sepe
A descriptive analysis based on a snowballing technique can be and Pitt (2014) [33] express identity as a persistent sameness
utilised to determine relevant references in this work [48]. The and unity that enables one to be differentiated from others.
keywords ‘personality’ Or ‘identity’ Or ‘character’ Or ‘singularity’ According to McAdams (2009) [21], the study on personality has
were selected for the query settings from 1950 till now. At the focused on self-interest, which is related to human feelings and
same time, wild cards, such as ‘city’ Or ‘urban’ Or ‘place’ Or ‘urban emerges as a pattern of dispositional traits, such as temperament
form’ and Or ‘daily life’ (*) were used to broaden the search terms. or biologically based tendencies, that contribute to creating consis-
We searched for these words in the period between 1950 and 2021 tent patterns of emotion, thinking, and behaving identity.
in two databases, namely, in book titles appearing on Google and This definition indicates that inherent identity is inseparable
the websites of international publishers and in titles of interna- from identity with other places. Dovey et al. (2009) [25] posited
tional journals registered in the database of Scimago Journal and that character and identity are not contained or legislated; charac-
Country Rank (SJR), which contains a restricted assessment of pub- ter focuses on the place and, initially, on the preservation of the
lications worldwide and significant academic publications in the streetscape. Moreover, Deleuze (1994) [57] explains that the
social sciences, urban studies and planning and development. meaning of singularity is related to the urban environment, that
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H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

is, the physical elements of a city that create difference and endorsement of sustainable global viewpoints [3]. Several situa-
repetition. tions emerge in urban vitality and quality, such as emotional,
visual and behavioural settings related to a city’s lifestyle in terms
3.2. Intellectual key: Ideas and concepts of character [33], place personality [26], place identity [62,29] and
neighbourhood character, which indicates protecting a place from
Erikson (1959) [20] states that identity depends on the concept change [18]. Aesthetic singularity refers to urban situations [7],
of personality, which stems from the self instead of from the out- events and experiences in daily life and architectural design.
side. Meijl (2008) [58] argue that identity is associated with the Dimensions appear in personality as apparent and moral. A part
self-ego identity, which is a revised sense of the reality of the self of identity is understood as social–psychological factors [3], which
within social reality. Moreover, it is a code that defines [one’s] are subjective and ascribed. Character is viewed as broadly con-
membership in various communities through symbols and is ceived cognitions about the physical world in which an individual
related to the notion of differences. This concept refers to an entire lives. City singularity reflects the visual, perceptual, aesthetic,
area [33], a process or a scaled process of ‘becoming as well as social, cultural, economic, and technical dimensions.
being’ [59] [p. 74] and a social–psychological factor [3]. The con- The criteria and principles include complexity, individuality,
cept of character stems from being a ‘planning tool’ [25], which interpretations, meanings, preferences, and various values related
is a composite of ‘‘the ’form’ and ‘feel’ of a place” [25] [p. 2597] to personality [55]. Likewise, urban distinctiveness [1] and social
and ‘a complex mechanism . . . [that] collects between the physical identity are related to identity [63], which consists of consistency,
features and the sense of place or its community meaning’ [18] [p. comfort, custody, diversity, individuality, modesty, simplicity,
456]. Singularity is based on the distinction between the city as a social values, taste, security and singularity [22]. Ultimately, other
work of art and a product that follows traditional and contempo- factors related to singularity include city dynamics, differences,
rary paradigms. and conflicts of activities [57,7,5].
Furthermore, Meijl (2008) [58] views personality and identity
as the sameness or the identical form of an object [60]. Meanwhile, 3.4. Practical key: Issues and themes and physical and nonphysical
Sepe and Pitt (2014) [33] proposed that identity implies a persis- elements
tent sameness with oneself and sharing characteristics with others.
In other words, the character appears as the unity of an object with Personality includes characteristics that distinguish behaviour
itself [22], which is considered a more general, concrete concept [33] from the daily existence of human beings and the feelings of indi-
[p. 216] and a particular lifestyle and sense of community [18]. As viduals about specific physical and types of settings. In contrast,
such, lifestyle in urban design and planning becomes a paradox the symbolic, cultural, and situational aspects are related to iden-
[25], whereas singularity appears as the transparency of visible tity issues and themes and the identification of a mass of people
shapes and uniqueness from other objects and lifestyles. (symbols). Another important aspect is the collective reaction of
people to the environment over time, which emerges from the
3.3. Normative key: Layers, symbols, situations, dimensions, criteria, following:
and principles
(a) elements of landscape urbanism [64];
According to Erikson (1959) [20], personality examines an indi- (b) practical responses to everyday life [33] and
vidual’s condition via social context, enactment, connection with (c) the effect of globalisation and technology [38].
others and communalism through the community. The layers of
identity denote a mass of people (symbols) and serve and facilitate The character, issues, and themes include changing the patterns
a person’s homecoming (cultural identity), social and cultural inte- of socio-economic organisation and lifestyles [33] and protecting a
gration (situational architecture) and the collective reaction of peo- place from change [18]. For singularity, a city’s visual image
ple to the environment over time. The layers of character stand for appears not just as a final product but also as an artwork; that is,
the present and the sameness of a place [20], a composite of ‘feel the city is a process instead of a place. A city’s statistical entity
plus form’ [2] and ‘multi-layered’ at ‘different geographical scales’ includes being an informational one, city branding, a smart city,
[59]. The layers of singularity are the city as a cumulative artwork a great city and a multicultural city.
and product, where the city follows innovative ideas that are com- Personality exhibits the variety and complexity of specific phys-
patible with the era of smart information, technology, and sustain- ical types of settings [65]. Identity demonstrates the observable
ability [13]. activities and functions and visual elements, such as the town-
Regarding symbols, personality as a prominent element of the scape; the scope of power of the architecture of an individual
scene is one person already owned. Tölle (2010) [26] believes that building block; the image of the city or place (iconic buildings as
the code defines [one’s] membership in various communities, a symbol) and the resultant horticultural activities. The physical
whereas Melonia et al. (2019) [3] argue that personality emerges elements of character are divided into two aspects. The first per-
at the local level through its relationship with the city or nation. tains to the structural settings, such as visual activities; points or
In addition, city identity reflects pro-environmental action and symbols; loafers; attractions; building shape and heritage; street
morphological structure. Sepe and Pitt (2014) [33] view it as a nat- views; land shape; plot diagrams, physical features, and facilities,
ural and cultural constant of an entire area, where symbols express such as schools and community centres. The second denotes char-
the salient elements of the physical features of the character of a acter elements, such as walkability, consistent ‘single-family’
neighbourhood unit through public and private interaction [32] houses, visible exotic front gardens, heritage streetscapes, building
and salient elements in the cultural landscape of community when styles and dense trees. Lastly, the physical elements of singularity
discussing the character of place [33,61]. In terms of singularity, are architecture and urban artefacts, understood as symbols or
Rossi (1982) [6] argues that the visible components that charac- icons that remain over time.
terise a city’s image, architecture and urban artefacts are called Personality is related to a person and property ownership,
symbols. including thoughts, memories, ideas, attributes, dynamic organisa-
Individual responses towards daily life problems constitute per- tions, interpretations, preferences, values, meanings, and charac-
sonalities, such as the hidden elements of each city’s scene, vernac- teristics that distinguish behaviour and experiences. The
ular responses to practical problems in identity [33] and nonphysical identity elements are a social reality, such as personal
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H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

elements. These include people living in environmental subordi- tives regarding their definitions, concepts, characteristics, and nor-
nate, the role and type of space and society, the act of what hap- mative and practical aspects. The results showed that despite the
pens in the environment, and the way space integrates within uses of these concepts to express the similarity of cities, they offer
the context, values and characteristics of the city and its natural the common denominators: urban formation and daily life through
and cultural properties, meanings, or symbols [33]. It also pertains thirteen aspects of epistemology in two bases: 1) Theoretical base:
to the local socio-spatial conditions that produce new scaled iden- a) Descriptive: types, aspects, meaning, b) Normative: idea and
tities and interpenetrating histories and geographies [59]. The non- concept, c) Intellectual: layers, symbols, situations, dimension, cri-
physical elements of character include the following: teria, and principles, 2) Practical base, d) practical: issues and
themes, physical elements, and nonphysical elements.
1. The social settings, such as repetitive behaviours. Examples
include standing on a sidewalk/sitting on roads in front of shops 4.1. The commonalities
and public cafes on the sidewalks; playing ball; eating on the
road, and spitting; At the personal, national, regional, and geographical level types,
2. the global appearance, which characterises the state of people, we found that the descriptive key is that personality is comparable
such as height, texture, skin colour, hair, eyes and nature of in characterising individuals and neighbourhood units. People tend
the environment and behaviour of residents and to be preoccupied with their race, culture, beliefs, ideas, prefer-
3. the general atmosphere and feeling of community and the ences, values, and objectives. Geographical or place identity and
structure of the community, such as multicultural, middle- character are linked to singularity through aesthetic characteris-
aged families. tics. Another result is that phenomenon illustrates personality as
an individual and social aspect. It is complicated psychologically
The nonphysical elements related to singularity are related to and empirically according to identity. Singularity integrates social,
everyday lifestyle. In other words, the city is a moment, a new geographical, and experimental phenomena. Finally, our findings
event, a place of desire, and an object that adapts to time and reveal that personality and singularity are identical in terms of
history. mood. Identity obtains meaning through sharing traits with others,
In summary, the current study explores four basic concepts, whereas the existence of the location lends meaning to its charac-
namely, personality, identity, character, and singularity and ten ter. Singularity conveys the feeling of places via the intentions
derived concepts, namely, city identity, urban identity, local iden- reflected by the components of the physical environment and
tity, place identity, neighbourhood identity, neighbourhood per- everyday living experiences. Singularity emerges between people
sonality, place personality, general singularity, space singularity and the place, whereas urban form and lifestyles in innovative
and city singularity. However, this study does not discuss other ideas are adapted to information, technology, smart products,
concepts that explain similarities or differences between cities, and sustainability eras.
such as authenticity and distinctiveness [1,38]. City singularity is At the conceptual level, we found that the intellectual key in the
an additive element for analysing similarities and differences findings demonstrates that personality and identity may be used to
between cities apart from identity and personality. evaluate the resemblance or congruence of objects in general. Con-
versely, personality and singularity are constant in that they reflect
a particular lifestyle, such as urban design via the urban form and
3.5. Reaching a framework
daily life experiences. Meanwhile, singularity emerges between
people and the place, whereas urban form and lifestyles in new
The abovementioned theoretical review demonstrates that the
concepts are adapted to information, technology, smart products,
relationships between the four ontological concepts and their 13
and sustainability eras.
derivatives are formative and societal. Moreover, this study is
According to the normative key, the physical environment and
related to planning and designing cities with their physical and
everyday living experiences are linked with self-ego. The present
nonphysical elements. The focus should combine the urban form
study supports the compatibility between personality and identity.
with lifestyle (Fig. 4).
The difference is defined using the symbols of the social reality of
City singularity can be examined based on urban planning and
the entire region. It varies from the character in that it is a planning
urban design paradigm in accorporating the visual, perceptual, aes-
technique that considers the features of a place to create a feeling
thetic, morphological, socio-cultural, environmental, temporal, and
of place via its urban form and social significance. Nonetheless, a
technological dimensions. Nonetheless, even if new cities with
parallel to singularity exists between them in that it pertains to
similar features and qualities emerge, they may not possess the
access to the city’s urban framework, whether simply artistically
same identity because the spirit of singularity distinguishes them
or as an integrated product. Regarding the similarity between per-
from other cities. For this reason, we adopted the terms urban sin-
sonality and identity, the normative key produces accurate find-
gularity and urban identity and character.
ings: both address individuals as symbols in their communities
Fig. 5 illustrates the framework for the four concepts: personal-
and cities, build social and cultural links and adapt to environmen-
ity, identity and character and their relationships with singularity.
tal problems.
The framework is presented as a flow chart to elucidate cities’ dif-
Identity is a concept that relates to environmental factors and
ferentiation and focus on integrating lifestyle and urban forms.
the constants of urban development. In contrast, the character of
Therefore, a new approach is required for exploring city singularity
a place reflects people’s lives in various ways. According to the
in NACC using the commonalities or keys derived from the theoret-
results of this comparison, personality and identity generally
ical framework.
reflect individual behaviour and international and domestic
situations.
4. Results A character figure is content with observing symbols at the level
of a location, namely, the unity of the neighbourhood. However,
The following findings highlight that more is still needed to be the singularity of signs at all levels is connected to the components
discovered about the commonalities between personality, identity, of urban formation, such as urban artefacts and architecture. There
and character. The current study results confirmed the difference may be significant connections between the four concepts in terms
between the four existential concepts and their thirteen deriva- of dimensions, criteria, and principles. They manifest themselves
7
H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

Fig. 4. Commonalities between personality, identity, character, and singularity.

on three levels. The first level of personality is based on the princi- of globalisation, technology, and tourism—moreover, the distinc-
ples of complexity and variety. There is a second level of identity tion between green, smart, organic, multicultural, and other
that is a subjective and proportionate component and a factor for paradigms.
urban differentiation and cultural integration. At the third level, The results of the commonalities that appear in the physical and
we refer to the dimensions of the tangible word. Among the vari- nonphysical components to explain the departure of personality
ous ways in which it perceives character are visually, sensually, from identity and character. Furthermore, the physical features of
psychologically, aesthetically, socially, culturally, medically, eco- identity and character remain similar, summarising the observed
nomically, and technically. It also considers its criteria for consis- components regardless of whether natural or manufactured. The
tency, comfort, diversity, individuality, modesty, simplicity, social main distinction is that these objects are classified as urban arte-
values, and security in addition to city singularity, city architecture facts or architectural symbols. Similarly, identification addresses
and conflict of activities. high-level social circumstances and ideals, whereas personality
The practice key gives different results about the commonalities analyses behavioural patterns and societal feelings. Finally, they
between the four concepts, which appear first when discussing are unique in that they discuss the everyday lifestyle of any place
issues and themes of the city. For example, the current study via recurrent events.
reveals the similarities between personality elements that mani-
fest in emotions and behaviour. However, parallels between iden-
4.2. Using commonalities to explore and create a city’s singularity in
tity and character may be observed in environmental, ecological,
NACC
social, technological and globalisation problems. Both identity
and character describe the daily lifestyles of identity in a specific
Three considerations address the implications of Egypt’s NACC:
mass of people, which manifest in their reaction to the environ-
(1) use of data acquired through the grey literature and site trips to
ment, landscapes and problems of everyday life and the impact
fully extract commonalities between existential concepts and their
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H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

Fig. 5. Theoretical framework: four keys and 13 elements.

variants, (2) investigation of the components of singularity in the characteristics of the original environment that represent the
future administrative capital city that is restricted to the level of desert and vernacular responses to the practical problems of daily
urban form and (3) apply the four keys and 13 elements as illus- life create such a city’s identity.
trated and discussed before in the conceptual framework. The presented findings can aid in developing leisure activities
From the results of the descriptive key, the city’s location beyond conventional thinking to satisfy the requirements of sus-
recalls its connections to neighbouring cities; that is, with the tainability and liveable cities, which contribute to equality. These
enforcement of the core area, memories gradually develop inside activities will begin with the Green River, which can be used for
the city. Many housing types can be found here, from modular vil- free by all residents and will serve as the significant central park
lages with dwelling units to gated and walled-off luxury and dis- of the city. The findings suggest that the city will develop a unique
tinctive home complexes. However, the city’s residents retain the local identity and a local aesthetic sense of an environment that is
right to use communal and recreational facilities because all mobil- unique from other constructed environments [66]. This local iden-
ity means are available. It has private, electric, public, and cycling tity is linked to cultural and political notions about fulfilling the
facilities, which Egyptian cities previously overlooked. This phe- needs of Egyptians to achieve their dream of living a remarkable
nomenon occurs in the ministry district, the embassy district, the life. This experience can also shape place identity via ideas, views,
religious complex (the mosque and the church) and the Green preferences, values, and objectives linked to Egyptian identity.
River, representing the city’s vast central park as artworks from The residential neighbourhood units are ready to be used with
urban artefacts. This scenario has never occurred before in any city their structural forms and to provide access to green public areas
in Egypt. Furthermore, a city’s identity generates distinct memo- via paved and straightforward routes to stimulate pedestrian and
ries and symbolic meanings due to its various components, includ- bicycle activities. The concept of city singularity has extended from
ing the governmental, residential, and recreational sectors. its urban region in the desert to an urban project with integrated
The vital intellectual results show that the city’s design combi- infrastructure and services. In this manner, connections were cre-
nes integrated products and cumulative works of art to implement ated, and the needs of creative and sustainable cities, such as trash
innovative ideas compatible with the information age, smart tech- recycling and solar energy use in structures, were met. NACC
nology, sustainability, and environmental green areas. Thus, the retains its singularity since becoming a spatial and sociological
city’s identity is classified as a green city, including central parks phenomenon as the first Egyptian city to offer the abovementioned
designed for recreational use by all citizens. Furthermore, 70% of components to financial and business centres and household
buildings are covered with solar cells (sustainability); 40% of their employees in the centre.
pathways are dedicated to pedestrians (walkability), and it adheres The results of similarities and differences in the city phases
to the conceits of liveability and connection [42]. The indicate that city planners addressed the elements of urban form,

9
H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

which create repetition and difference simultaneously and will land and personality elements, which encourage pedestrian walk-
vary with the diversity of activities and functions in the three city ability. These material elements create a non-material reality
sectors. The current results confirm the emergence of the concept linked to the place’s identity and personality and add meaning to
of singularity through two aspects. Firstly, city singularity emerges it apart from its physical singularity. The effects of these nonphys-
through vegetation cover and solutions to the landscape architec- ical elements will appear in people’s repetitive behaviour, appear-
ture of the outdoor environment. Secondly, we observed differ- ance, and lifestyles. Environmental, natural, societal, technical and
ences in the visual image and the skyline formed by the globalisation issues demonstrate similarities between identity and
skyscrapers, which range in height between 82 m and 385 m. This character, which reflect the uniqueness of a group of people. Both
contrast in elevations and urban spaces between them emerges in are manifested in the people’s reactions to the environment, land-
different types of daily life experiences. The results also highlight scapes and the influence of globalisation and technology. The orig-
two changes. First, the city was developed based on the notion of inality of rating cities differs according to whether they are green,
the city as a product, following a general plan and an integrated smart, organic, or multicultural.
vision. Second, given all its internal details, the city is a work of
art. Accordingly, this art appears in great diversity in the patterns
of residential, administrative, and recreational buildings, as well. 5. Discussion
Analysis of the normative key demonstrates that singularity
pertains to layers, symbols, situations, dimensions, criteria, and The results showed that the city’s singularity could be planned
principles. This result provides evidence that the layers of the city’s based on theoretical and practical bases. The first base depends on
cultural identity are created through the presence of elites (i.e. strategic urban planning, focusing on descriptive, intellectual, and
symbols of the people) in the presidential palace, the Council of normative kyes. The second base focuses on the urban form and
Ministers, the Parliament and even the district ministries, ambas- daily life experience at the practising level of urban planning and
sadors, and entrepreneurs. This analysis yields increasingly strong urban design. Examining the keys to the common denominators
results regarding data on foreign arrivals and reflects improvement revealed a significant finding: several concepts are derived from
in the local economy. Visitors to the city are locals and foreigners. identity and personality traits, such as city identity, urban identity,
This factor may transform the city into one that is multi-ethnic and local identity, place identity, neighbourhood unit identity, neigh-
multicultural. Moreover, this qualitative shift in identity rankings bourhood unit personality and place personality.
may create positive results in changing the cultural landscape of The theoretical literature used these traits by focusing on urban
daily life experiences. form and the characteristics and patterns of daily life. For example,
Moreover, the results illustrate projects for recreation, such as Tölle (2010) [26] stated that urban identity pertains to the place
the central gardens with an area of 8 km2, the Egyptian Opera House, identity of the entire city (i.e. about politics). Sepe and Pitt
the Music Theatre, the Centre for Artistic Creativity, the Museums (2014) [33] used place identity to describe individual and commu-
Group (e.g. the Wax Museum for Pioneers and the Museum of Egyp- nal visual forms and meanings. Meanwhile, Casakin et al. (2015)
tian Arts, Modern and Contemporary Art, Sculpture and Graphics), [62] used it to express beliefs, preferences, values and goals related
the conference hall, the exhibition area, the sports areas, and univer- to a place, whereas Bernardo et al. (2017) [53] proposed that it is a
sity buildings at the local and international levels. process of belonging. Finally, Hoevena and Hitters (2017) [29]
Our findings on the different situations, represented by the employed this concept to refer to the experience of a topographical
unprecedented diversity of urban-form elements and their reflec- place shaped by memories. Smiley et al. (2016) [10] discussed
tions on everyday experiences, indicate that the city is beginning place character to refer to urban life’s cultural, economic, and polit-
to create its local identity. In this manner, city singularity develops ical diversities. In another context, De Oliveira et al. (2019) [51]
through structural aesthetics, such as urban artefacts and the city’s viewed city identity as the singularity of the characteristics of
architecture. The findings also point to seven principles of the city the city and used urban identity and city identity interchangeably
that underpin global perspectives: green, sustainability, walkabil- to identify similarities between cities. Such similarities reflect
ity, liveability, connectivity, smart and business city. physical, visual, social, economic, cultural, and political features.
Contemporary urban planning and urban design paradigms Besides, Ziyaee (2018) [52] selected cultural landscapes to assess
achieve visual, perceptual, psychological, aesthetic, social, cultural, urban identity.
media, economic and technical dimensions. The results that The current study revealed new findings. Although the results
accomplish these seven principles indicate the criteria of identity demonstrated the association between a place and its character,
and personality, such as consistency, comfort, nurturing, diversity, many researchers use urban identity and place identity to explore
individuality, modesty, simplicity, social values, and security. this concept [52,62,52]. However, Smiley et al. (2016) [10]
Accordingly, urban quality may achieve exclusive criteria, such as uniquely used an urban character, whereas several researchers
the arrangement of the architecture and urbanisation of the city selected neighbourhood unit identity [31] or neighbourhood unit
and the differences and conflicts in activities, functions, and treat- character as a concurrent concept [2,32].
ments of external surfaces. Notably, city singularity is a less widely used term in urban
City character pertains to the social and economic organisation planning and design literature. For example, Lynch (1960) [5],
patterns imposed by business, administrative and embassy dis- Rossi (1982) [6] and Gehlawat (2011) [7] used it to describe the
tricts, as well as sports and health. According to the practical key, city of Chandigarh, India [67]. Moreover, researchers employed
the city’s identity is evident through its integrated activities and the term to refer to similarities and differences between Heliopolis
functions, each occupying a specific urban space. In this space, and Al-Rehab in Egypt [68]. However, the term singularity seems
the strength of the impact of the architecture and urbanisation of to require science, technology, and mathematics [69,70]. For exam-
the built mass and its vibrant surroundings emerge as additions ple, Bi (2019) [71] used singularity to describe finite element anal-
to the cultural scene derived from its local functions and activities. ysis applications. Similarly, Li et al. (2021) [72] and others used city
Over time, the city will remain entrepreneurial, combining infor- singularity in their research on creating city structures by examin-
mation, branding, smart technology, greatness (marvellous city) ing city growth and relationships from the perspective of the con-
and organic development. nection between gravity and geographical proximity.
Furthermore, the results indicate the attractiveness of activities This relationship helps to determine proximity to friends and
due to the buildings shaped as icons, street views, the shape of the work, availability of infrastructure and groupings of types of
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H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

businesses. Although this study overlooked the reasons for estab- with the ideas of the green river, this discussion is also necessary
lishing a new administrative capital city for Egypt, this decision when focusing on a single activity within the city or a single topic,
represents significant economic, geographical, military, and strate- such as the aesthetics of singularity [7], with ideas and concepts
gic challenges [73]. Similar events were noted when establishing focusing on the normative and practical aspects. The view of a
Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, in the 1980s. At the time, the green river emerged in Chandigarh, also known as the leisure val-
ancient capital city named Lagos was experiencing financial and ley [15], and in Abuja as a parkway [75,67].
political crises, overcrowding problems and a high population den- City character stems from the urban form based on the physical
sity [17]. Egypt is also facing political and economic challenges, as elements of the city that form architecture and urban artefacts. In
well as an increased population density in Cairo. Therefore, estab- general, these results are consistent with those reported by Shaw
lishing another capital city that meets the requirements of sustain- (2009) [76] about Le Corbusier’s design for the palace of assembly,
able and smart development, environmental green space and Martyr’s Memorial and open hand in Chandigarh, and Nor et al.
entrepreneurship were deemed necessary. (2020) [17] about building residential towers, commercial centres
So far, city planners have succeeded in these efforts. However, and hotels extending up to 24 floors and beyond in the future, as
the existence of a new capital city does not contradict the develop- happened in Abuja [67].
ment of the old capital city or any other Egyptian city, especially As a result, the study proposes a conceptual framework that
after solving its financial and demographic challenges. This result covers three phases from the selection of urban spaces to the three
is linked to another discussion not described previously—the rea- essential issues for evaluating city singularity, namely, theory
sons for selecting the site. Notably, the choice of site is affected (paradigms and dimensions for exploring the criteria and princi-
by the reasons for the new development. Therefore, when policy- ples), practice (associated with urban planning and design ele-
makers and city planners chose the city’s location, they seemingly ments that achieve city singularity) and the third phase, which
first considered the economic and social well-being of the new city focuses on the measurement of city singularity (Fig. 6). Based on
and Cairo. Hence, selecting a place to reduce the population load in urban form and everyday lifestyle, this framework displays the ele-
Cairo was necessary after the ministries, embassies and govern- ments needed to evaluate city singularity based on personality and
ment administrative buildings were transferred to the new capital the physical and non-physical components of identity, character,
city. and singularity (Fig. 7).
NACC was planned to be a central point for trade, finance, busi- This study highlights that the technical reports reviewed reflect
ness, and industry and connect to the vast surrounding area’s the extent to which urban form is influenced by the seven
industrial, commercial, and agricultural cities. It was also required principles of the city, namely, green, walkable, sustainable,
to meet the requirements of city singularity at the regional and liveable, business, connected and smart. According to the technical
national levels. This result is tied well with previous studies reports and studies by many researchers in this context, the notion
wherein, for example, the goal of many planned cities, such as of examining city singularity at the level of urban form is now gen-
Islamabad [16] and Abuja [74] was to create a planned capital city erally accepted. Such studies may change or improve the aspects
in the direction of national identity. that require intervention and modification before implementation
City identity stems from the geographical and demographic by reviewing other aspects that can be included in the pre-
data provided by this site. Moreover, the results provide evidence construction and occupancy assessment.
that the city’s singularity is an element worthy of discussion Focusing on results related to the physical elements and
because it adds a new dimension to the study of the identity of entrusting the nonphysical elements to other studies is necessary
the entire city and the personality of its parts. However, in line at this stage of understanding. Therefore, the conclusion of this

Fig. 6. Detailed theoretical framework: Toolkit for city identity, character and city singularity.

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H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

Fig. 7. Elements that create a singularity of smart cities.

study remains valid, given that the premises show it. City planners distinguishes one city from other cities. This spirit is derived from
and developers could examine city singularity based on urban the unique urban form treatments that emerge through urban
planning and design paradigms. These paradigms incorporate the artefacts, which differ across cities, the innovation in city architec-
visual, perceptual, aesthetic, morphological, socio-cultural, envi- ture and the avoidance of character.
ronmental, temporal, and technological dimensions. Nonetheless, We adopted the concept of ‘city singularity’ identity, and char-
even if new cities exhibit similar features and qualities, they may acter of smart cities. This argument stressed the need to consider
not have the same identity because the spirit of singularity these two aspects as keys to confirm the validity of the empirical

12
H. Abusaada, A. Elshater and R. Rashed Ain Shams Engineering Journal 14 (2023) 102087

concept of this study, on the one hand, and as a tool that enables Building on the research limitations, additional studies are
city planners and policymakers to formulate initial strategies for required to ascertain the effect of daily life experiences on city sin-
the scheme of new capital cities, on the other hand. gularity. In this regard, future research will require precise simula-
This study has its limitations. It did not reference the current tion tools. Future studies should consider factual data collected
data used in publications on NACC. In addition, comparing docu- after our case study has operated for several years to derive other
mentation and reality has been challenging as the project is still keys of commonality. Future research should also focus on visual-
being constructed. There was another limitation in examining the ising details of residential oases, the impact of streets, and the ram-
impact of people’s presence, providing a singularity of urban forms ifications of sustainability, innovative technology, and liveability.
in NACC based on everyday life experiences. Moreover, The Green Moreover, the city singularity of smart cities based on everyday
River (the enormous Central Park), which represents singularity in experiences will expand the understanding of city competitive-
urban formation, is still incomplete to conduct a field study survey. ness. Therefore, we recommend that future studies use commonal-
Another limitation was validating our conceptual model that tracks ities for this purpose. In addition, these studies should examine the
the singularity of capital cities and investigates the commonalities potential effects of urban form on everyday life, in light of compar-
between singularities, identity, and character. We also suggested ative models that compare the singularities, identities, and charac-
this model only in the case of NACC, which might be modified com- teristics of capital cities.
pared to other capital cities.
Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-

6. Conclusion cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
This article suggests the keys that city planners and developers
can use to connect with policymakers to achieve singularity in Appendix A. Supplementary material
newly-planned capital cities. It offers ontological and epistemolog-
ical analyses through an affirmative approach to elucidate the Supplementary data to this article can be found online at
commonalities between personality, identity, character, and singu- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2022.102087.
larity. This methodology can provide a reliable connection between
knowledge acquisition and use through an enhanced explanation
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Hisham Abusaada, PhD, is a full professor of urban design at the Housing and
[42] Administrative Capital for Urban Development [ACUD]. Administrative capital
Building National Research Centre (HBRC), Egypt. He concerns himself with the
for urban development. Administrative Capital For Urban Development, Egypt;
socio-cultural aspects and spatial problems of urban communities and development
2016.
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capital. Constr Res Innov 2019;10(1):18–26. urban design. He was a faculty member in the Urban Design programme in the
[44] Arksey H, O’Malley L. Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. Department of Landscape Architecture at King Faisal University in Dammam, Saudi
Int J Soc Res Methodol 2005;8(1):19–32. Arabia (1995–2008). He also works in some Egyptian universities and other higher
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planning and urban design based on PRISMA Statement. Soc Sci 2022;11
(9):1–8. Abeer Elshater, PhD, is a professor of Urban Morphology at the Department of
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in urban planning and urban design with a PRISMA-Compliant review. Soc Sci Egypt. Abeer is teaching and supervising multidisciplinary topics in urban design.
2022;11(10):1–17. She is a personal investigator for a funded research project (STDF Basic & Applied
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Planners. UK: Routledge; 2020.
Funding Authority about urban heat islands and urban forms. Elshater has also
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worked on some international research projects with international universities. She
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is a co-editor, co-author, and author of several scientific books and manuscripts.
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approaches to European and regional identities. Eur Urban Reg Stud 2010;17 Elshater is an ambassador for the Regional Studies Association of the United
(4):443–6. Kingdom (UK).ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5061-6861
[50] Bloom W. Personal identity, national identity, and international
relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1990. Rowaida Rashed, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Urban Design
[51] Capela F, Ramirez-Marquez J. Detecting urban identity perception via and Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University. She earned her doc-
newspaper topic modeling. Cities 2019;93:72–83. torate degree in 2007 from the Institute of Urbanism, Graz University of Technol-
[52] Ziyaee M. Assessment of urban identity through a matrix of cultural ogy, Austria; with a dissertation titled: ‘‘A Framework of Urban Morphological
landscapes. Cities 2018;74:21–31. Analysis: The Physical Transformations of Three Districts in Cairo City”. Her
[53] Bernardo F, Almeida J, Martins C. No access urban identity and tourism: teaching and research both focus on urban ecological design and regenerative
different looks, one single place. Proc Instit Civ Eng: Urban Des Plann 2017;170 practices. From 2010 till 2015, she has taken part in the establishment of the
(5):205–16. Architecture and Urban Design Program at the German University in Cairo (GUC),
[54] Oyserman D, Elmore K, Smith G. Self, self-concept, and identity. In: Leary MR,
and in her capacity as the faculty coordinator for student affairs and curriculum, she
Tangney JP, editors. Handbook of Self and Identity. New York: The Guilford
has been responsible for its development, implementation, and advancement.
Press; 2012. p. 69–104.
Currently, she is also an Associate Partner and Director of Design and Innovation at
[55] Casakin H, Bernardo F. The role of place identity in the perception,
understanding, and design of built environments. Bentham Science Ökoplan Engineering Consultations, where, over the past 26 years, she has worked
Publishers; 2012. on numerous city planning, urban design and architectural design projects inside
[56] Relph E. Place and placelessness. London: Pion; 1976. and outside Egypt. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-3254-1253
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