SUMMARY
Slum upgrading programs in Egypt focus mainly on the provision of essential services. Social and environmental needs are neglected resulting in critical issues. A community-driven approach is proposed to unfold the potential of slums by giving control of decisions and resources to the community.The research examines ‘El-Max’ Fishermen Village based on its potential due to its unique urban pattern and characteristics. It argues the ability of an informal settlement to reach sustainability goals through a community driven approach. It sets out a framework for urban development, emphasising social sustainability built on sound governance and good urban management.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Slum Upgrading; Sustainable Urban Development; Community-Driven Development (CDD); Urban Management.