Tangier: a national discussion on housing and urban planning consultation meeting

In Tangier, a recent regional consultation meeting was organized as a part of the King Mohammed VI-highly endorsed National Dialogue on Town Planning and Housing. The goal is to “provide proposals to enhance the new roadmap in the areas of housing and urban planning.”

The regional consultation meeting, held on September 19, 2022 in Tangier, sought to provide a forum for discussion for regional players involved in housing and urban planning, as well as an opportunity to share opinions and ideas in order to improve a new roadmap. This will be built for the upcoming years and focuses on housing and urban planning.

This meeting also allowed all stakeholders in the fields of urban planning and housing to discuss issues related to these sectors, in order to make the most of collective intelligence and encourage action.

Nissrine Alami, the regional inspector for urban planning, architecture, and national land use planning, emphasized that the regional consultations on housing and urban planning at the level of the Tetouan-Tangier-El Hoceima region “are part of the National Dialogue which aims to establish a strategic vision for the development of a reference framework for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable urban development” when MT questioned her on the matter. Additionally, they will enable “to enrich the new White Paper of the Ministry, through a positive involvement of all the stakeholders of the sector,” according to this interlocutor.

Speaking on this occasion, the wali of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (TTA) region, Mohamed Mhidia, stressed that this region in the north of the Kingdom had experienced, in recent years, the implementation of many programs who have contributed to the realization of the royal vision for the region: the “Tangier-Métropole” program, “Al Hoceïma, Manarat Al Moutawassit”, the Oued Martil Valley development program in Tetouan, and the rehabilitation and enhancement of the old medinas of Tetouan and Tangier, as well as other initiatives, which have contributed to developing the urban landscape and improving the living conditions of the population.

“Despite these great achievements that have been made at the level of the region, thanks to the High Royal Solicitation, there are still constraints and shortcomings that must be corrected to ensure an integrated and comprehensive development of the territory of the region,” said know the wali, emphasizing the need to continue efforts to eliminate the slums of Larache and Assilah, deal with buildings threatening ruin, rehabilitate the old medinas, promote access to housing and revise the methods of drawing up town planning documents.

According to the wali, “most of the problems posed by the fields of urban planning and housing are deep and multiple, since they are linked to the daily life of the citizen and affect the present and the future of future generations. , in addition to the fact that the treatment of some of them requires years and significant investments”. Mohamed Mhidia, in this regard, insisted on the importance of territorial planning, urban management and the adoption of a proactive approach, in order to avoid the reproduction of unsanitary housing, slums and housing indecent.

Omar Moro, President of the Regional Council of Tetouan-Tangier-Al Hoceïma, assured that this Council was convinced of the need to develop the urban planning and housing sector, which is the engine of the local economy. and national, so as to lay the foundations of the development model and to ensure equitable and sustainable urban development, which would take into account social, economic and territorial requirements, and the need to preserve the identity, heritage, culture and authentic Moroccan civilization, and to guarantee decent housing, local services and territorial accessibility, on which the social state project is based.

He explained that urban planning policy and city policy required a futuristic strategic vision, which would take into account the territorial balances between the city and its different districts, and would give new life to small and medium-sized internal towns and historic cities.

Aissa Ben Yaacoub, former president of the Association of Real Estate Developers of Tangier, explained the importance of this meeting, which opens the debate on the general framework of housing, real estate offers and the power of purchase of citizens. He particularly insisted on “the duty to support the middle class in the acquisition of quality real estate at an affordable price”.

The Minister of National Territorial Development, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy, Fatima-Zahra Mansouri, launched, on September 16, the National Dialogue on Urban Planning and habitat, during an official ceremony chaired by the Head of Government, and in the presence of ministers and representatives of the ministerial departments concerned, but also those of constitutional bodies, public establishments and professional bodies. This Dialogue takes place within the framework of the implementation of high royal instructions, aimed at enabling citizens to benefit from decent and quality housing, and at encouraging productive investment.