The Grand Experiment Of Heliopolis

Heliopolis was built in 1905 in the middle of the desert, 10 miles from Cairo, as the living image of the contemporary European ideal of a garden city.

1 minute read

June 12, 2005, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Empain envisioned a clean, spacious oasis city that would attract the indigenous and foreign elites alike... Empain’s city is believed to have been built on the same site as ancient Heliopolis, or On, as it was known in the Bible. That city was the womb of the Greek intellectual renaissance and a nest for great philosophers, including Plato.

Empain’s Heliopolis was the living image of the contemporary European ideal of a garden city. Everything was designed to forge a sense of space from the wide avenues and boulevards to public parks and squares. Noteworthy was the uniform oriental flavor of architecture, all forging the feel of a city of its own, governed by strong geometry. The Baron and his staff set strict building regulations, prohibiting any building from exceeding a height of five stories, limiting villas to a maximum height of 15 meters, and specifying that the maximum built area of any plot of land shouldn’t exceed 50 percent."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Sunday, June 5, 2005 in Egypt Today

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Downtown Los Angeles skyline viewed from a distance with freeway and trees in foreground.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods

A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

April 3 - USC Dornsife

Aerial view of Claifornia aqueduct with green orchard on one side.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy

California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

April 3 - Turlock Journal

Close-up of older woman's hands resting on white modern heating radiator mounted on wall indoors.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program

The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.

April 3 - The New York Times