**7. Conclusion**

**6. Recommendation for planning zero-carbon eco-cities**

**Figure 9.** School's playground is turning into community activity in summer at EL Gouna.

36 Sustainable Cities - Authenticity, Ambition and Dream

The aim of eco-cities is to build a viable future for humanity with a healthy planet where the Earth, water and air will continue to support our complex renewable-powered ecosystems.

**Table 1.** Recommendations and proposed solutions for current challenges to be used as future for guidelines in designing

eco-cities in Egypt.

The twenty-first century is shaping up to be a traditional era for the humanity who dwells on this Earth. The pressure we are placing on the planet's resources has become increasingly unsustainable. The resulting problems we face, such as water and resource scarcity, increased energy demands and costs, shrinking fossil fuel reserves and a changing climate, have sounded a wake-up call heard round the world. Those who are heading the call and embracing the need for change are finding the necessary solutions and opportunities not only to address this global set of problems but also to advance and improve humanity's relationship with the living world and improve our quality of life. Much of the stress we impose on the Earth is manifested in the way we design, construct and use our built environment; that means buildings and cities must play a vital role in shaping our sustainable future. They are as much representatives of a global approach to our built environment as they are exemplary buildings.

This chapter introduces a brief understanding of eco-community's definitions and is discussing three of the Egyptian pilot projects as an analytical model for a prospect of a zero-carbon city design and planning in Egypt. The dream of the eco-city in Egypt is a city that is a desirable place to live. It is becoming a necessity to develop an integrated model for an eco-city lead by a multidiscipline group of experts including but not limited to renewable energy, agriculture, eco-sanitation, solid waste management, vernacular architecture, traffic and green transportation, economy, social and cultural studies, services, governance and small and micro enterprises. Renewable energy and energy efficiency are a core sector with close implications on other sectors such as agriculture, transportation, housing and services. If these conditions are fulfilled, the community will be able to perform the required actions to produce all needed services and products resulting in an improvement in the overall economic conditions without degrading the surrounding environment. In Egypt, we need a city that is designed around the individual and the family creating a fully integrated neighbourhood orientated around public spaces and civic amenities and a city that encourages the growth of communities and relationships. Sustainability, a vibrant economy, future viability, scientific excellence and a decent life attitude all melt in the same pot towards the same goal of a post-carbon eco-city model for its inhabitants.

We can conclude from the case studies that the concept of low-carbon and low-impact communities can be transformed from an idea to reality and practice. They are not only a product but also a process for sustainable lifestyle. In Egypt unfortunately, we tend to apply replicable outcome-based approaches. It is high time to look for strategies that prioritise participation. We need to deal with complex challenges in our city design approaches. A holistic approach in dealing with low-carbon economic growth should consider the social, economic and ecological reciprocity. More grassroots and community-driven approaches are needed for equity towards low-carbon urban governance. A formal policy support on a national level is important together with national guidance on sustainable communities and community asset transferee. Designing eco-cities is not anymore about only attempting to reduce GHG emissions and energy consumption. We should tackle it from a more holistic view and consider economic justice, behaviour change and wellbeing in addition to community self-management. Some of the recommendations sound like basic aspects in sustainable city planning in modern cities, but Egypt still lacks such basic concepts of sustainable city design.

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