Data_Metabolic Syndrome in Cairo, Egypt

This paper revisits the planning and design factors of “pedestrianized” and “walkable” urban streets to encourage physical activity, focusing on their prioritization according to public health and smart growth. The aim is to create a conceptual framework for urban planners and de-signers to encourage walking and reduce metabolic syndrome (MetS) risks. Through a scoping re-view, the study found that while pedestrianized and walkable streets share many planning and design factors, they have different objectives. The study explores how urban planning and design can reduce MetS risk among middle-class individuals using online video storytelling for 30 partici-pants in three districts of Cairo, Egypt: El Zamalek, Old Cairo, and Heliopolis. It identifies three factors to address MetS symptoms for middle-class individuals: strategic, design-oriented, and tech-nical. Practitioners and policymakers can use this framework to evaluate the impact of their work works. This study is particularly relevant for cities in the Global South facing similar challenges.