African Journal on Land Policy and Geospatial Sciences (May 2022)
THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY IN THE URBAN PLANNING SYSTEM IN MOROCCO
Abstract
Urban and cultural identity is an extremely interesting and decisive concept in the reflections in the past, present and in the future of the territories. Goal and objectives: Beyond the theoretical aspects of the concept, this study highlights the link between the concept and the urban planning system. If identity is in essence multi-scalar, the scale chosen in this reflection is the city. The identity of a city is based on its urban history, heritage, urban symbolism and the various elements of local identity. It implies a multitude of socio-cultural representations that we make of the territories, of the society and of their historical trajectory. Methodology: Urban analysis reveals urban strata that each represents a testimony to an era or to events. This testimony concerns ways of life, the scope of governance and human rights in a historical period. Beyond these considerations, the challenge is to know how to enhance, through an urban plan, urban and urbanizable spaces as forms that carry meaning, values and, above all, as a vector of territorial competitiveness and urban development. Results: The urban identity is perceived as an interface between a retrospective view and a prospective vision. It is a tool of resistance in the face of globalization and an instrument of intelligence in urban planning. Any urban plan must address the questions of the present and the future. The legibility of the city, through its urban landmarks, its road structure, its network of main facilities, its centralities and its multipolarity, requires the use of a culturalist urbanism. A break must be made with functionalist designs. The urban space and its landmarks become more legible with a lighting design that gives the city a nighttime identity, constituting a development stimulus. Identity is a determining factor in urban planning. It must be protected and enhanced by law. However, the rule of law is deficient in a numb socio-political and cultural context. It is difficult to develop an urban plan for a space devoid of a clear identity on which to define urban functions and boost development.
Keywords
