Urban Night-Time Design for More Livable Sustainable New Communities. Case Study: El Sheikh Zayed City

Abstract

Egypt has a diverse and fascinating nightlife that has become an integral part of Egyptian society. There are wide range of activities, which take place in the tolerably cooler climate of the night. These activities range from a variety of dining experiences to different forms of entertainment. In 2022, the total number of overnight stays in Egypt amounted to 131.05 million. This was an increase of 39.7 percent compared to the previous year when the number of overnight stays was 93.82 million. In the UK, the night-time economy has an average annual turnover of around £66 billion, contributing around 6% of GDP to the UK economy. The development and management of the night-time economy is one of the most important issues facing cities around the globe. This paper aims to examine the Urban Night-Time design guidelines for the development of livability new Egyptian communities to achieve sustainable night-time entertainment activities in urban night spaces. To this end, we tried to review the concept of "Urban Night-Time Design" as a crucial element in fostering vibrant and sustainable new communities. It argues that well-designed nightlife spaces can contribute to a community's livability by promoting social interaction, cultural expression, and economic activity, the main research question what do we need to improve night-time economy in Egypt? To achieve this aim, the methodology of the paper is shaped by three parts, part one the theoretical background consists of five concepts, Night-time economy, Night-time management, Urban night safety, Urban night spaces, and Night-time activities. Part two analytical study of 10 global experiences of night life, namely (London, New York, Sydney, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Tehran, Kuala Lumpur, Beirut, Riyadh, and Dubai), to conclude from part one and two the guidelines for urban night-time design. Part three the comparative analytical study for the case study El-Shiekh Zayed city as a new Egyptian community, by observing and analyzing the derived guidelines weights for urban night-time design in El Sheikh Zayed City, and the relative weights were determined according to their degree of importance in night life to understand and know the extent to which these guidelines have been achieved in Sheikh Zayed City as a new Egyptian community.