From Urban voids to Urban Commons-Ex-airports as Urban Voids reuse Case studies of Tempelhofer Feld Airport in Berlin-Germany & Imbaba Airport in Giza-Egypt

Abstract

Public spaces play a vital role in urban city life, with all of its components, human activities, and functions, green Areas, etc., where these spaces are widely used by people along the day or during the week. Although This importance increases in the cosmopolitan cities. The paper discusses how could urban voids among the city be utilized as a public space; examples of these urban voids are ex-airport sites. It also discusses how public spaces are vital for the city life, and how awareness towards these spaces could make a difference, from the view of Reusing Ex Airports Sites, as these sites are usually of significant Areas, that creates an excellent opportunity for the city to be utilized as public spaces, primarily when they are also located in premium locations. The authors address former airports in cities as urban voids and exceptional cases and examine two case studies (Tempelhof / Berlin, Germany, and Imbaba / Giza, Egypt). They are discussed as potential urban commons while recognizing the cultural, historical, political, economic, and urban complexities and specificities that each of the two cities and the respective countries involves. Considering the different types of both cases, the paper sheds light on the Concept in itself. How people's awareness of their need to the public spaces forced the Government in Germany to Reuse Tempelhof a Public space, meanwhile people in Imbaba Airport Case were ignored& new residential, commercial use(s) were invited to the site adding more traffic, densities, and pollution to the area. The paper ends with some conclusions that also raise the importance of reusing urban voids in a way that makes people's lives better. Instead of looking only from an economic perspective and how this could add value to the city, with some recommendations of reusing any urban void as a public space full of Human Activities and adding a green/open area(s) for the town