http://www.press.ierek.com ISSN (Print: 2537-0154, online: 2537-0162) International Journal on: The Academic Research Community Publication Quality of Life to Achieve New Egyptian Cities Dina Darwish1, Mohsen Bayad2, Mohamed Mahdy2 1Assistant Lecturer at the Higher Institute of Engineering and Technology in Menoufia - Egypt 2Architecture Department, Faculty of Fine Arts –Alexandria University - Egypt Abstract The change in the pace of urbanization that Egypt is currently witnessing due to the massive population growth and the trend towards migration to some urban polarization centers has responded in a large and unbalanced urban transformation. The absence of a clear long-term strategy for urban development has affected the accumulation of investments in major cities. Alongside the challenge facing the development of new urban communities, is the result of interaction between the social situation, economic and urban and the environment that affects the human being to form a society characterized by the quality of life, which is the goal of development. If all these challenges did not achieve the results of quality of life, development has become deficient and unable to achieve its objectives and therefore the investments directed to this development is a waste of resources in a country that needs to deal with Resources efficiently and effectively, so as to achieve the maximum possible return of national income. Therefore, The need to design an appropriate strategy aimed at Integration of parts of the State’s urban space, as well as alleviating the regional disparities in the levels of urban development between different regions of the country, and achieving the greatest justice in the distribution of services and facilities and economic opportunities between citizens and regions, and Attracting residents from densely populated areas and territories to new urban centers with growing development and investment potential. © 2019 The Authors. Published by IEREK press. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Keywords Quality of life – a measure of happiness – development – development – development management – development strategy plan development — new urban communities – economic development 1. Introduction Quality of life is the idea recently discussed in various studies as a response to many of the problems facing new cities around the world as well as in Egypt. The current interest of the world in preserving the environment and the life of human societies on earth is the most important scientific, philosophical and applied trends to which the most research and studies are directed. Therefore, the interest in the field of public services and the development of the method and system of submission to citizens, and where the individual’s satisfaction and happiness and ability to satisfy his needs through the rich environment and the development of services provided to him in the areas of health, social, educational and psychological with good management of time and benefit from it, While enjoying the physical conditions in the external environment, such as the sense of well-being, and to live harmonious life compatible between the essence of human values prevailing in the community. It is only pleasing to the quality of life. pg. 1 DOI: 10.21625/archive.v3i3.518 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication The aim was to establish new cities through proposed development axes outside the valley and delta region as one of the development strategies to overcome their various problems. The focus was on the idea of expanding the development of new urban areas of priority to attract development outside the valley as well as attracting investments and encouraging the economy in the Western Desert. To be based on new urban communities distinct to contribute to the alleviation of urban pressure on agricultural land and densely populated areas, And at the same time create new jobs for young people in the scope surrounding these new areas, and there were different views on the results of these cities, did the experiment succeeded or failed ?, Have all failed or succeed some? The difference of views in the judgment on the experience is due to the lack of adequate and agreed assessment bases in which the experience can be assessed scientifically and practically to develop appropriate solutions to them and to accelerate the development of them and exploit the investments directed to the optimal exploitation, Hence, the objective of this research is to determine the foundations of a stable and adequate assessment of the quality of life of new cities and urban communities, from which the developmental reality of each society can be determined. In the framework of the national vision for the comprehensive development of Egypt until 2030 and the required activation of all sectors of economic, social and urban development in order to make full use of the elements inher- ent in each sector, in addition to the major national programs and projects as the starting point that will lead to the recovery of the Egyptian economy and achieve sustainable development, It will also contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the economic development and social justice strategy, in addition to being a positive result in stimulating growth, reducing the unemployment rate and providing new jobs for young people, such as the 4 million acre reclamation project, the Suez Canal Development Project, the Golden Triangle Project, Al Qattara Development Project, Al-Baz development corridor project and other national projects. The research focuses pri- marily on the quality of life indicators and their role in advancing the development of urban communities, as well as the role of the community to play an effective role in assessing urban development, in transforming the society from a beneficiary to a product to an effective and decision-making society at all stages of economic. 2. Aims of Research and Methodology The research aims to identify a new system for the development of urban communities and Egyptian cities to solve the problems of the local community and to create an urban product capable of meeting the challenges and obstacles facing society. The research follows several approaches to achieve the predicted results by determining the basic principles used in the evaluation of cities and urban communities and their contribution to the formulation of the urban development concept in Egyptian cities to develop the role and thought of urban development in different experiences and trends as well as national development strategies. In order to reach conclusions and recommendations related to research. – Preserving the agricultural lands from urban encroachment and encouraging growth on the desert lands. – Evaluating the development policies of the new cities in the Western Desert. – Access to the proposed development role of new sites suitable for development. – Raise efficiency and productivity of industrial services and infrastructure. – To guide urban growth to the proposed desert areas, which contributes to maintaining the existing structures, both urban and economic. – Enhancing productive capacity through the development of existing enterprises, industries, and services that complement major productive and economic activities. – Provide incentives to the private sector to participate in the development process. pg. 2 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication Figure 1. Research Objectives 3. Quality of Life Concept It is the individual’s sense of satisfaction, happiness, economic and psychological ability and spiritual and religious dimension to satisfy his needs through the richness of the environment, and the quality of services provided to him in housing, health, education, security, and justice. The quality of life is achieved by reaching the level that satisfies the different segments of society according to needs and priorities. The availability of services and needs of the community groups is a key factor in achieving satisfaction and happiness in the lifestyle of the members of society. It is impossible to give one universally accepted definition of the concept of quality of life because it is a multidimensional concept that depends on the description and assessment of the nature and circumstances of people’s lives in a given country or region. The common definition is the ability of man to achieve his basic needs according to personal perceptions in order to achieve self-prosperity. A set of preliminary indicators has been developed for the EU. The final urban declaration (issued by the European Commission and the UN-HABITAT) has shown that a set of urban standards should at least be similar in some respects and may differ in others: — The researcher in the field of investigation. — Different cultures. — Different depending on region problems. — vary by different functions within the political decision-making process. A number of basic criteria have been developed in the assessment process several times based on the objective of the evaluation. In recent years, in various parts of the world, processes have been initiated to create comprehensive systems of quality of life measures that seek to assess the quality of life and the durability of countries in the present and future. Quality of life on a range of cities and achieving their importance in the strategies of sustainable development at the national level. (Ben Ghadban, 2015) General objectives of quality of life assessment: – Strengthening the sense of social cohesion among the members of the new city. – Making the most of the process of popular participation in all stages of development, from the decision- pg. 3 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication making process to the completion of the construction process. – Finding the right implementation mechanisms to manage the new cities to serve the population of these cities. – A continuous and effective assessment process for new cities in all stages of growth. There are many organizations that measure the quality of life including: – Human Development Index (HDI) – United Nations Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) index – Numbeo indicator – The London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC) 3.1. OECD index OECD Is an international organization aimed at economic development and the revitalization of trade exchanges. The organization was established on September 30, 1961, after replacing the European Economic Cooperation Organization (OEEC), which was established in Paris in 1948 to assist in the reconstruction of Europe after the Second World War and after a period of expansion to include non-European countries. The Organization is composed of a group of countries that accept the principles of democracy and a free mar- ket economy and are the official observer of the United Nations. (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2018) ; see Table 1 Table 1. MeasuringQuality of Life through the OECD Indicator Housing: (the proportion of the individual in the room - in the proportion of services) Education: The number of people with secondary education aged 25- 64 Jobs: and (the number of wage work- ers from 15-64 - unemployment rate) Work-life balance Safety: (walk in the night - crime rates) Income: (per capita annual income) Environment: The percentage of satisfaction with drinking water due to pollution. Health:(quality of health services) Satisfaction with life Social communication: The number of people who believe they have an important person can use it. Civil participation: and with it (percentage of elected people - and political participation) 3.2. Numbeo indicator It is a global online shared database that compels its users to make comparisons to cities and countries. Was established in 2009 by an engineer (Mladen Adamovic) in a company in Serbia, the main objective of which was to compare prices. In 2011, other data were added to measure the quality of life such as pollution, health care, and traffic. It Is also the largest data collection site with 1.3 million statements and is among the top 10000 sites used according to the classification of Alex 2014, but the data are taken directly from individuals without third-party scrutiny, the index is not the most accurate. (Cost of Living, 2018) ; see Table 2 pg. 4 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication Table 2. Measuring Quality of Life through the Numbeo Indicator Real estate prices compared to in- come Cost of living Purchasing power Traffic congestion safety Healthcare Weather Population 3.3. Happiness indicators GNH (Gross National Happiness Index) Global Happiness Index is a measure of happiness in countries and urban communities by reference to multiple studies and statistics. Happiness is measured according to several criteria. In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling on states to measure the happiness of their people to help guide their policies. In 2012, the first United Nations meeting entitled ”Happiness and well-being: defining a new economic model” was held. In 2016, the world’s first ministry of happiness was set up in Dubai. What are the signs and indicators of happiness among peoples? The global happiness standard does not depend mainly on the richness of countries and individuals, but some other indicators are priorities in the classification mechanism. (2015 GNH Survey Report, 2018) ; see Table 3 Table 3. GNH classification mechanism Living Stan- dards Ecological Diversity and Resilience Psychological Wellbeing Health Time Use Community Vitality Education Good Gover- nance Cultural Diversity and Resilience Assets Ecological issues Life satisfaction Mental health Work Donations (time & money) Literacy Gov’t perfor- mance Speak native Language Housing Responsibility towards the envi- ronment Positive emotions Self- reported health status Community relation- ship Schooling Fundamental rights Cultural Participa- tion Household per capita income Wildlife damage (Rural) Negative emotions spirituality Healthy days Sleep Family Knowledge Services Artistic Skills Urbanization issues Disability Safety Value Political Participa- tion 3.4. The London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC) Established in 2002 to provide independent advice to the Mayor of London on ways to make London a sustainable, The Commission is an independent body, challenging policymakers to promote a better quality of life for all Londoners, both now and in the future, whilst also considering London’s wider global impacts. The Commission is made up of individual experts from the economic, social, environmental and London governance sectors. The LSDC hopes that the QoL indicators provide a useful assessment tool that might be used by others across London. It should be noted that these indicators are the responsibility of a range of organizations and bodies across London including the Mayor, boroughs, business, central government and other stakeholders in the private and public sectors. All of these will need to put into practice a series of actions in collaboration with the Mayor in order to make progress on the key quality of life issues over the coming years. (London’s Quality of Life Indicators Report, 2017)LONDON’S QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS REPORT, 2017) ; see Table 4 pg. 5 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication Table 4. LSDC indicators Social Indicators Economic Indicators Environmental Indicators • Education: primary • Education: secondary • Childcare • Crime • Decent housing • Life expectancy • Physical activity • Satisfaction with London • Happiness • Voting • Volunteering • Healthy Life Expectancy • Social integrationl • travel • Gross Value Added • Income inequality • Employment rates • Business survival • Human capital • Innovation • Child poverty • Fuel poverty • Housing affordability • London Living Wage • Carbon efficiency • Low carbon and environmental jobss • kills • Traffic volumes • Air quality • Travel to school • Access to nature • Bird populations • Ecological footprint • Flooding • Household recycling • Water consumption • Waste • Recycling • NOx Emissions • CO2 Emissions 4. Development of New Cities in Egypt It can be concluded from the above-stated indications that the concept of quality of life includes subjective and objective indicators at the individual and community level. This can be described as below from the authors’ point of view. See Figure 2 & Table 5&6 Table 5. Subjective and objective indicators criteria At the individual level At the community level subjective indicators Life satisfaction, a sense of happi- ness, Etc Ability to participate and influence the quality of life decisions objective indicators Measurement of functional situations such as education, skills, Etc Measuring the economic, environ- mental, social, Etc To the following indicators: Figure 2. Research Subjective and objectives indicators Table 6. Research proposed Quality of life indicators — From the point of view of the researcher Urban Indicator Economic Indicator Environmental Indicator Social Indicator Continued on next page pg. 6 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication Table 6 continued Land use compatibility Providing adequate hous- ing Facilitate traffic Provision of services The Growth of economic activities Increase income Reduce unemployment recruitment Improving water quality Improve air quality Good governance of natural resources Waste management of various types Good health The Sense of Safty in the community Life education Achieving a balanced and participatory society General goals Look for the technique to provide the needs of the population of facilities with the promotion of a healthy environment Enhance living and al- ternative transport modes while creating an environ- ment that users can mod- ify and adapt to it Achieve aesthetic and vi- sual image of the areas through the formation and identification of the archi- tectural spaces and build- ings identified for them Meeting the needs of fam- ilies through the provi- sion of adequate housing (prices - space - construc- tion technology - thermal comfort) General goals Improving the economic standard of living Create additional perma- nent jobs within the re- gion Ability to provide a de- cent living General goals Ensure good comfort and availability of local envi- ronment requirements Ensure the environ- mental quality of water resources Provide comfortable environmental conditions within urban areas Ensure environmental safety in relation to waste management Rational use of renew- able energy resources General goals Integration and social equity Improve social cohesion Improve available capa- bilities Preventing social in- equalities and promoting a socially inclusive soci- ety Create a strong and cohesive society Work to improve and distinguish social per- formance to achieve sustainable social devel- opment 5. The Challenges of Developing new Urban Communities in Egypt The problem of research In the light of the analysis of the development movement of cities and new urban com- munities, the human development of these communities does not go at the required rate and did not achieve its objectives because it did not achieve quality of life in economic, social, environmental and urban, This is illus- trated in table 7 and Figure 3, 4. At the national level, there are still issues of population increase and scarcity of arable land. In this context, the State has prepared a number of national and regional plans that deal with these issues. Table 7. The Challenges of developing new communities in Egypt 1 About 95% of the population of Egypt live in 5% of the Republic 2 Urbanization of the northern part of the Nile Valley 3 The phenomenon of urban expansion on agricultural land in Egypt 4 The inability to direct urban growth away from the valley and the delta, and the slow exit into the desert for new societies of the lack of development and quality of life Continued on next page pg. 7 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication Table 7 continued 5 The population growth is expected to reach about 150 million in 2020, which will exacerbate the problem of urban expansion 6 Not adopting a modern national policy for urban development that takes into account the stages and levels of economic development and its relation to the stages of urbanization at the national and regional levels 7 The obvious lack of services and the existence of life and the imbalance of the dimensions of urban development, economic and social Figure 3. A graph showing the approximate percentage of the population census in Egypt — developed by the researchers. Source: Central Agency for public Mobilization and statistics in Egypt — www.capmas.gov.eg Statistical profile — Egypt 2016 — Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics Figure 4. A graph showing the proportions of flats in Egypt – developed by the researchers. Source: Central Agency for public Mobilization andstatistics in Egypt - www.capmas.gov.eg Statistical profile - Egypt 2016 - Central Agency forPublic Mobilization and Statistics pg. 8 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication 6. The Importance of Establishing and Developing New Urban Communities in Egypt There is an imbalance in the geographical distribution of the population within the framework of the population, which is characterized by the concentration of the population in a limited geographical area (Sustainable Develop- ment Strategy 2030). The paper gives the following discussion illustrated in Figure 5&6. Figure 5. Lack of exploitation of economic resources in quality and efficiency Figure 6. A map showing the limited development movement on the banks of the Nile Source: Sustainable Development Strategy 2030 - Ministry of Planning, Follow - up and Administrative Reform pg. 9 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication Thus, the results and elements of the analytical problem appear below in figure 7 from the point of view of the researcher: Figure 7. Proposed urban communities development polices Hence, the quality of life indicators play an important role in the development of urban communities through the following stages a proposal for indicators are illustrated below in figure 8: Figure 8. Proposed quality of life indicators pg. 10 Darwish / The Academic Research Community Publication 7. Discussion and Conclusion Within the framework of the national vision for the comprehensive development of Egypt until 2030 and the required activation of all sectors of economic, social and urban development to make full use of For the components in each sector. A new trend has emerged that has resulted in analysis and understanding of the components of the local develop- ment perspective for the development of new cities and new urban communities through:- —Assess development trends - identify key challenges —Stimulate the community and relevant parties —Contribute to advancing sustainable urban development. —Benefit from investment opportunities in the region to achieve the development of the local economy —Focus on institutional and administrative bottlenecks Access to the measure of measuring development through quality indicators of life and propose a set of indicators and determine their different roles in the stages of development. 8. References 1. 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Retrieved 2018, from https://www.london.gov.uk/in-my-area/city-london Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/ pg. 12 Introduction Aims of Research and Methodology Quality of Life Concept OECD index Numbeo indicator Happiness indicators GNH (Gross National Happiness Index) The London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC) Development of New Cities in Egypt The Challenges of Developing new Urban Communities in Egypt The Importance of Establishing and Developing New Urban Communities in Egypt Discussion and Conclusion References