Egypt plans new capital in the desert (population: 7 million+)

[Tender Branson]

... to relieve the sprawling Cairo:

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt—Egyptian officials announced plans to build a gigantic new administrative and business capital east of Cairo with the help of the United Arab Emirates, in a further sign of support from the Persian Gulf for President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi’s economic turnaround efforts.

The new capital will be developed on a land area of around 700 square kilometers (270 square miles)—roughly 12 times the size of Manhattan—located between Cairo and the Red Sea. Officials hope the development will accommodate seven million people and create 1.5 million jobs, according to a fact sheet handed out at an economic summit in the coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The move could relieve some pressure on Cairo, whose metropolitan population is straining the city’s congested infrastructure. Officials expect Cairo’s population to grow to 40 million by 2050 from 18 million currently.

The project’s financial details and time frame weren’t disclosed.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/egypt-unveils-plans-for-new-capital-city-1426342865

[Antonio the Sixth]

Brazilia-style?

[Tender Branson]

It would be better if they invested these sums into rigid family planning measures and not into carving out new megacities. Contrary to other developing countries, Egypt has seen a huge increase in its birth rate over the past several years to 3.5%, up from 2.5% !

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It would be better if they invested these sums into rigid family planning measures and not into carving out new megacities. Contrary to other developing countries, Egypt has seen a huge increase in its birth rate over the past several years to 3.5%, up from 2.5% !

The most effective family planning measure is a growing economy.   Egypt's birth rate increase in the last few years is perfectly understandable given the instability in their economy the last few years.  Whether this megaproject is the best way to grow the Egyptian economy is debatable.  It definitely isn't the best way in an abstract world in which anything would be doable, but within the limits of what is politically doable in Egypt right now, it may well be the best that can be done despite not being the best that could be done.

[ingemann]

It would be better if they invested these sums into rigid family planning measures and not into carving out new megacities. Contrary to other developing countries, Egypt has seen a huge increase in its birth rate over the past several years to 3.5%, up from 2.5% !

The most effective family planning measure is a growing economy.   Egypt's birth rate increase in the last few years is perfectly understandable given the instability in their economy the last few years.  Whether this megaproject is the best way to grow the Egyptian economy is debatable.  It definitely isn't the best way in an abstract world in which anything would be doable, but within the limits of what is politically doable in Egypt right now, it may well be the best that can be done despite not being the best that could be done.

Honestly it's one of the most safest bet to grow the economy. Especially if the Gulf States are willing to throw money into this.

[Cory]

It would be better if they invested these sums into rigid family planning measures and not into carving out new megacities. Contrary to other developing countries, Egypt has seen a huge increase in its birth rate over the past several years to 3.5%, up from 2.5% !

Culturally speaking that kind of policy just doesn't jive with Egyptians, Arabs, or Muslims in general.

[Simfan34]

It would be better if they invested these sums into rigid family planning measures and not into carving out new megacities. Contrary to other developing countries, Egypt has seen a huge increase in its birth rate over the past several years to 3.5%, up from 2.5% !

The most effective family planning measure is a growing economy.

Bingo. Family planning initiatives are usually regretted later.

[politicus]

It would be better if they invested these sums into rigid family planning measures and not into carving out new megacities. Contrary to other developing countries, Egypt has seen a huge increase in its birth rate over the past several years to 3.5%, up from 2.5% !

The most effective family planning measure is a growing economy.

Bingo. Family planning initiatives are usually regretted later.

Examples?

The situation in Egypt is extreme. Hard to see them manage it without doing something a lot more drastic than building a new metropolis.

[Tender Branson]

It would be better if they invested these sums into rigid family planning measures and not into carving out new megacities. Contrary to other developing countries, Egypt has seen a huge increase in its birth rate over the past several years to 3.5%, up from 2.5% !

The most effective family planning measure is a growing economy.

Bingo. Family planning initiatives are usually regretted later.

The most effective measure is both, a growing economy and an effective family planning policy. If the will is not there to implement these policies (often in Muslim countries, but also others) - a growing economy won't help either. See Indonesia as an example, which has seen increased population growth rates in the 2000-2010 census time span compared with the 1990-2000 timespan, but also high economic growth. Yet the government there basically gave a sh*t about population control (only in recent years started to make a u-turn on this issue). That was under the old President's final days. Don't know what Jokowi's position about this is though ...

[Zioneer]

Welcome to Sisigrad.

[Platypus]

Cairo just can't keep growing, so... not the worst idea ever.

[BaconBacon96]

Welcome to Sisigrad.

I like it.

[dead0man]

The upper class needs a new place to live that's further away from the dirty masses.  Plus construction and corruption go hand in glove.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Prediction: it will be a tacky white elephant

[Filuwaúrdjan]

General President Sissy is clearly very determined to be an absolute cliché of the sort of ruler that he is isn't he.

Prediction: it will be a tacky white elephant

Is there a post-1900 Planned Capital that isn't? (answer: no)

[Hnv1]

could be a good idea, Egypt and especially Cairo are really suffering from overpopulation and I can't see how they solve this mess with the current urban grid. Hell last time I checked they 1-2 million people living in graveyards right?

[ingemann]

Honestly this is not a bad idea. Yes it's going to be a terrible project. But it's not lying a place where it harm nature and it's a good excuse for the Gulf to pump money into the Egyptian economy, and it can't turn out worse than the Egyptian garbage reform.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yeah, you're both right that Cairo is the megacity equivalent of a human disaster and that a solution of some sort is desperately needed. The problem is that the history of planned capitals is not great in general and over the past century-and-a-bit is actively awful...

On the other hand a construction project on this sort of scale would provide rather a lot of jobs. Currently the labour market in Egypt is so bad that some people become migrant labourers in Libya despite... well...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

But it's not lying a place where it harm nature

Except that the water has to come from somewhere.

[ingemann]

But it's not lying a place where it harm nature

Except that the water has to come from somewhere.

It's not really going to make great difference where they pump the water from the Nile to. It's also a major why I don't think this city is a problem, as if it turn into a disaster, it will just become a bunch of empty ruins in the desert.

[ag]

Welcome to Sisigrad.

As long as the US and Europe do not provide a penny for this, we should just ignore it. If the faraoh wants to rename the country Sisiland, he can do it.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Welcome to Sisigrad.

As long as the US and Europe do not provide a penny for this, we should just ignore it. If the faraoh wants to rename the country Sisiland, he can do it.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Welcome to Sisigrad.

As long as the US and Europe do not provide a penny for this, we should just ignore it. If the faraoh wants to rename the country Sisiland, he can do it.

Nah, he should declare himself a reincarnation of Alexander the Great and crown as the pharaon accordingly. They he should defeat the evil Persian Empire.

[Tender Branson]

There already is a Sissigrad:

[Hnv1]

http://www.citymetric.com/skylines/so-why-egypt-building-new-capital-city-right-next-cairo-855