The past three years have witnessed major transformations in the area of urbanism in Cairo and the region at large. Not only have changes “on the ground” created new conditions that call for critical observations and proactive engagement, an increasingly vulnerable state and a relative absence of law enforcement was coupled by an emerging sense of empowerment by individuals and communities, translated in what has been popularly termed as “reclaiming the street and public space.” Within this context new modes of urban practice have emerged redefining the role architects and urban designers in what may be viewed as planning-as-activism, ranging from systematic documentation and developing urban archives, networking and coalition building, as well as specific interventions through working with local communities and stakeholders on their own terms.   This presentation will share examples of on-going and recent work by CLUSTER in the context of Cairo’s rapidly shifting urban and political landscapes over the past three years. It outlines some of the methods and strategies adopted as well as key projects in Downtown and informal areas around Cairo.  
Omar Nagati is a practicing architect and urban planner who currently lives in Cairo. Having studied at UBC, Vancouver and UC Berkeley, Nagati adopts an interdisciplinary approach to urban history and design, and engages in a comparative analysis of the question of urban informality in developing countries. He teaches part-time Urban Design Studio at the MSA University in Giza and has recently cofounded, with Beth Stryker, CLUSTER, a new platform for critical urban research and design initiatives downtown Cairo. clustercairo.org