Dynamique marchande et renouveau urbain à Oran. Médina J’dida et Choupot, deux quartiers du commerce transnational

Abstract

Oran, Algeria’s second largest city, lives at the rhythm of urban reconstructions driven by a new kind of market’s dynamics. Since the early 2000s, transnational trade affects the urban landscape while spreading in the city. Medina J’dida and Choupot became emblematic areas of these ongoing changes. This article will demonstrate how these two districts, one pericentral which has already a long tradition of trade and the other, located in the former discrete Oran’s suburb which was not prepared for this specialization as it had mainly a residential vocation, will be conquered by commerce. Two forms of transnational trade are implemented in two urban neighborhoods with different status and which architectural heritage is undergoing profound transformations. By looking at the processes that led to the emergence of these market places, we propose to emphasize the importance of new Oran’s actors, the merchants, showing how trade dynamics have caught unawares the institutional urban programs.

Keywords

• Oran
• Transnational trade
• Urban renewal
• Trade dynamics