Abstract
Because of rapid urban concentration in large cities in developing countries, especially in Egypt where about half of the country’s urban population is concentrated in two cities, and because of the mounting problems associated with this phenomenon, the research argues that small-size settlements could be an appropriate approach for managing the urban future in developing countries. This argument is based on the idea that recent and expected technological achievements would facilitate the adoption of such approach. In validating this argument, the paper started by an analysis of the main advantages of small-size settlements and the expected impacts of technology on settlement size. Then, the paper examined the rationale of this argument in three steps. First, the paper statistically examined the main differences of settlement size in developed and developing countries, as groups of different technology status levels. Second, the paper has examined the increasing technological capabilities of Egypt, as well as the main urban problems of the country. Third, the paper presents the results of a forecasting survey of technology and urban development experts’ opinions and expectations about the suitability and applicability of the proposed small-size settlement approach for developing countries of increasing technological capabilities, such as Egypt. Through these stages, the paper came to confirm the suitability of such approach for these countries, and finally presents some recommendations for the adoption of small-size settlements approach in Egypt.