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Taparura Project

Sfax, Tunisia

2014 - Ongoing

Large Urban ProjectMixed UseReclaimed LandWaterfront

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Project Description

Approach Words: Integrated City, Sustainability, Urban Livability

Public Policy Instruments: Financial Mechanism, Physical Intervention, Planning

Taparura, based on the ancient name of Sfax¹, is a rehabilitation effort of the port located along the northern coastal area of Sfax city². The project is an integral component of a comprehensive plan titled ‘Study and Planning of the North Coasts of the City of Sfax’ (SEACNVS)ⁱ designed to address pollution in the port of the city of Sfax which is affected by industrial waste. In doing so, it also aims to enhance the overall environmental quality of the Sfax region, the population of which is around 500 000³.

Title: Location of the Taparura Project in relation to its Surrounding in Sfax city.

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Title: Master Plan of the Taparura project.

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Title: 3D Rendering of Taparura.

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Title: Construction Site of Tabarura Project.

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Title: Location of the Taparura Project in relation to its Surrounding in Sfax city.

Source: Click Here

Title: Master Plan of the Taparura project.

Source: Click Here

Title: 3D Rendering of Taparura.

Source: Click Here

Title: Construction Site of Tabarura Project.

Source: Click Here

Covering an area of 420 hectares⁴, the Sfax Taparura Project is the second major project conducted within the scope of the Urban Projects Finance Initiative (UPFI)⁵ ⁱⁱ. The overall aim of the project is to transform the town, affected by waste, into a vibrant urban district⁶. It envisions Taparura as an integrated urban development project, offering a range of services and infrastructure⁷. These include an efficient mobility system, elements to foster a dynamic culture within the area, places for recreation and leisure, as well as basic civic amenities such as health and educational institutes⁸. In providing these facilities, the development seeks to make Taparura an ‘attractive eco-neighborhood’ that adopts green energy and sustainable water management systems and fosters a sustainable lifestyle⁹.

The objective of the rehabilitation is also to reconnect the city of Sfax to its beaches, and subsequently drive local and international tourism¹⁰. In order to do this, the project consists of three primary baseline measures¹¹.

Rehabilitation of a former industrial site
Clean-up of beaches
Restoration of the site

Owner/Developer (Public)

The Company of Study and Development of the North Coast of the city of Sfax (SEACNVS)

Ministry for Equipment, Housing and Land Use Planning ²²

Consultant/Designer

Royal HaskoningDHV ²³

Funder

European Investment Bank (EIB)²⁴

French Development Agency (AFD)²⁵

Contractor/Implementer

The Company of Study and Development of the North Coast of the city of Sfax (SEACNVS)²⁶

Owner/Developer (Public)

The Company of Study and Development of the North Coast of the city of Sfax (SEACNVS)

Ministry for Equipment, Housing and Land Use Planning ²²

Contractor/Implementer

The Company of Study and Development of the North Coast of the city of Sfax (SEACNVS)²⁶

Funder

European Investment Bank (EIB)²⁴

French Development Agency (AFD)²⁵

Consultant/Designer

Royal HaskoningDHV ²³

Following the decontamination of the site, the proposed master plan envisions the new urban district at the center of a park running across the coastline¹². It proposes the construction of residential districts, hotels, recreational spaces, commercial establishments, service facilities and amenities, as well as green areas. It also aims to implement a social housing program¹³.

The project was implemented in two phases, with the first focusing on complete decontamination of the area, as well as development of land along the sea¹⁴. This phase has been completed. The second phase, currently in progress, introduces the construction of the urban center which would house civic amenities for residents and visitors¹⁵. Upon completion, the project is expected to accommodate approximately 50,000 to 70,000 residents¹⁶.

The project was developed by national and local authorities, including the Tunisian Ministry of Equipment, Housing and Land Use Planning and its autonomous company ‘Société d’Etude et d’Aménagement des Côtes Nord de la Ville de Sfax’¹⁷. The master plan for the urban district was prepared by the consulting company Royal HaskoningDHV¹⁸. Taparura project is funded by European Investment Bank (EIB)¹⁹ with an overall estimated cost of €403.2 million (USD 445 million)²⁰. The project received recognition from the Union for the Mediterranean and its 43 member states, earning the UfM label in December 2014²¹.

Project Link, Endnotes and References

Project Link

https://www.taparura.com/

Endnotes

ⁱ Study and Planning of the North Coasts of the City of Sfax’ (SEACNVS) is a plan to carry out depollution work on the former phosphate processing industrial site located on the Mediterranean coastline of Sfax and the embankment of the coast north of the city. This work resulted in the rehabilitation of 6 kilometres of beach in 2012.
ⁱⁱ The Initiative aims to promote and develop sustainable and innovative urban projects in the Euro-Mediterranean region that serve as best practice examples and are potentially replicable.

References