Knowledge transfer is a process that needs a level of awareness and flexibility when it comes to adapting the transferred knowledge to fit the context at the destination. This has started by collecting the data about the QM, analyzing it, as shown in the following summary.

After the reunification of Germany in November 1989, it was noticed that some areas were underdeveloped in comparison to others in terms of wealth, poverty, health, productivity, partnerships and education (Connolly, 2015). To stabilize and strengthen the economically and socially disadvantaged districts, an urban development programme known as the “The Social City Programme (SCP)” was started for the whole of Germany. A study on social developments conducted by the Senate of Berlin in 1996 comparing East and West Berlin confirmed these differences for the city, leading to the start of “The Socially Integrative City (SIC)” program within the framework of SCP. The differences observed were deficit of public spaces such as open areas, roads and green spaces; and substandard social infrastructure (QMBerlin, 2009). To overcome these challenges under the SCI, Quartiersmanagement (QM) or Neighborhood Management (in English) was started in March 1999. NM is a special support system ensuring not just the residents but also the neighborhoods themselves have equal chances for development. Approaches aim at mitigating the development of ‘pockets of poverty’ which in future have a high tendency and vulnerability of being segregated socially and economically. The underlying idea for sustainable development of these areas are promoting the neighborhoods themselves to be the key actors which is achieved through encouragement of interdisciplinary dialogue and resource pooling by strengthening networks. Focus and emphasis is laid on motivating people by conducting participatory activities and raising awareness encouraging social stability (QMBerlin, 2019).

In comparison, Hurghada, like the rest of Egypt due to its transitional phase since the 2011 revolution has faced numerous urban issues (UNHabitat, 2019). Problems being low foreign direct investments (FDI), high unemployment rate, high poverty level and low living standards (Abdou, 2013). To deal with urban settlements is a tedious job in Egypt due to certain obvious problems such as lack of coordination or too little communication between residents and the governmental institutions.

To overcome this, project NEIGHMADA started as an idea in the year 2015 focusing on Zerzara which is one of the biggest informal areas in Hurghada. The main elements of the project being comprehensive coordination and communication. Zerzara, which was the originally selected study area, is classified by the Informal Settlements Development Fund (ISDF) as an unsafe area with level two degree of risk (ISDF, 2019). The old market and Mallaha area which now has been chosen as the study area and the area of the research implementation has the same characteristics. The three biggest challenges of the area being poor living conditions, lack of economic development and low level of education (HabitatUnit, 2019).