Enhancing the Sense of Identity in the Public Places of Administrative Areas in Greater Cairo

Contemporary urban design, as well as sustainable development calls, pays serious attention to the notion of identity in the urban context. Furthermore, there is an increase in scientific research in this field. This paper revisits identifying place identity components. Therefore, reliable literature and research articles were reviewed to identify the components that can create place identity. The paper empirically analyzes the checklist of place identity components by comparing two case studies. As identity is affected by the place’s culture and the nature of the people in it, this paper focuses on public places in administrative areas in Greater Cairo. This comparison was made using the collected data from documents and archives and the observation during the site visits. An interview with experts was also done. Based on the data, the study assessed the sense of identity in the two cases. According to the results, this study identified the strengths and weaknesses in each assessment category, then presented identity enhancing strategies (IES) to enhance identity. The findings came in three categories, environment-related strategies, people-related strategies, and strategies for the relationship between the place and its people. This approach adopted by the study can be used to derive other strategies for different places.