In the past decades, an increased dissatisfaction with the built environment had been grown, despite the fact that several countries have developed legislative requirements to control the aesthetics of the urban environment, yet there is a growing difference between the view of the public and the professionals. One can also argue that the lack of empirical visual urban studies contributes to this gap. This paper investigates the validity of the previous hypothesis. The aim is to verify local urban spaces and their compatibility levels to local cultural language. A survey is conducted in several districts exploring the architectural features from the perspective of the professionals on one hand and the laymen on the other. The compatibility ratings were analysed by factor analysis. The results outline factors affecting the contextual compatibility in Cairo, highlighting non-homogeneous urban fabrics, evaluating the different architectural features which replicate or contrast with the context. These outcomes may help overcome the problems we are facing nowadays where architects and urban designers dismiss public taste in the design of local urban environments.