The Institute holds the sixth meeting of the Cities in Action Webinar series on evaluating the Strategic Plan for Algiers (2010-2019).

The Arab Urban Development Institute organized its sixth session of the Cities in Action webinar series on Tuesday evening, 28 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1446 AH, corresponding to October 1, 2024 AD, in the presence of several specialists and professionals interested in urban development affairs. Dr. Abdullah Dhaifallah, moderator of the webinar and Professor of Urban Planning, began the session with an overview of the webinar series and highlighted its importance in enriching the discussion on urban development across all Arab cities. He also stressed that the benefit of these sessions lies in identifying pioneering urban development projects and exchanging ideas on mechanisms and the elements of success.

Eng. Amine Benaissa, an architect, urban planner and associate professor at Paris-Sorbonne University, presented the session. He began with a discussion on the city of Algiers and its ambitious strategic vision to promote development and regional integration, pointing out that the Algerian government announced a new strategic vision in 2006. This vision aimed to promote economic and social development in the country, taking advantage of its strategic location on the Mediterranean Sea. The strategic plan was built based on economic, social, and political ambitions.

He pointed out that statistics indicate remarkable demographic growth in the education sector, as the number of students increased from less than 1,000 students in the early sixties to more than 1.5 million students today, reflecting the burgeoning demand for education.

Eng. Amin reviewed a significant project in the Mediterranean that aims to achieve economic and social integration among the countries of the region. It is a “micrograph” network project, he said, which is based on the organization of the metropolitan city of Algiers through the construction of new roads, and a plan has been put forward to restructure public transport to improve the quality of services. He added to the importance of working under the framework of flexible engineering in developing new projects.

Eng. Amin discussed new projects in Algiers, starting with the construction of a new center around the medical campus in Warsaw, the construction of a legal campus, and a new center around the Great Mosque. He emphasized the need for social cohesion and economic development to create new areas, with the principle of rehabilitation and the relationship between development and sustainability. Development projects in Algeria include roads, waterfront, and parks, focusing on combining tradition and modernity.

Finally, Eng. Amin asserted that the Algerian Government is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the concerned authority organized mobile exhibitions to present the strategic plan and participate in the discussion of projects to enhance cooperation and teamwork to achieve the desired goals. This step marks a milestone in Algeria’s journey towards a more sustainable and integrated future at the local and regional levels.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Abdullah Dhaifallah thanked the attendees for their valuable interaction and participation, praising Engineer Amine Issa’s prominent role in evaluating the Strategic Plan for the Wilaya of Algiers. He stressed the importance of continuing these meetings to enhance cooperation and knowledge exchange among specialists in urban development.