2. Productive Urban Development: Linking Planning and Economy in Al-Alamein New City, Egypt

As rapid urbanization continues to transform the landscape of the cities around the world, subnational governments are under great pressure to address negative externalities associated with poorly-designed and informal expansion. The global trend persists as the rate of growth in unplanned or poorly-planned expansion outpaces that of the planned expansion. The lack of coordination between spatial planning and economic development planning widely observed in subnational governments aggravates the current unsustainable urban expansion. This chapter proposes an innovative approach to urban development planning which harnesses transformative force into an inclusive, equitable, productive and sustainable form of urban development. By integrating spatial analysis with value/supply chain analysis, it assesses the importance of mobility, connectivity, and inclusivity for industries. Upon the analysis, the methodology highlights a strong interrelation between urban layouts and productivity of cities and presents itself as an alternative approach to planning cities. The chapter introduces the case of Al-Alamein, a new city under consideration for development in Egypt, to showcase the government’s systematic approach to meet new challenges arising from rapid urbanization and presents a model for future new city development for Egypt as well as for countries around the world, utilizing comprehensive approach to sustainable urban development.