COMMUNITY LIFE AND THE CHALLENGES OF FAÇADE DETERIORATION IN KORBA: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Heritage conservation often focuses on preservation techniques, yet the processes and impacts of urban deterioration on social and economic life remain underexplored. This study examines the decline of El Korba, a historically significant district in Heliopolis, Cairo, originally designed to foster vibrant social and economic activity through distinctive architectural features. Using a diachronic descriptive analysis of Ibrahim El-Lakkani Boulevard, the research employs a framework linking six street-level façade parameters—complexity and architectural character, permeability, territoriality and personalization, enclosure, ground-floor use, and physical comfort—to patterns of social interaction. Comparative analysis of architectural elements from 1906 and 2021 reveals marked declines in complexity, permeability, territoriality, personalization, and physical comfort, corresponding with the area’s socio-economic deterioration. The findings identify critical physical factors for heritage revival initiatives, emphasizing the restoration of both the built environment and its social vitality. This study supports sustainable conservation strategies aimed at enhancing the cultural and economic life of historic urban neighborhoods.