.: City Development Strategies: Marrakech, December 2004 and Damascus, January 2005
The decentralization process generally means greater power and resources
for cities, and thus calls for better management and more in-depth development
planning.
Cities Alliance defines a City development strategy as an “action plan
for equitable growth in cities and their surrounding regions, developed and
sustained through participation, to improve the quality of life for all citizens”.
The seminars organized in Marrakech and Damascus focused on the main components
of urban development strategy (economic development, urban planning, management
of slum clearance, sustainable development and cultural heritage) and on the
tools required for the implementation of such a strategy (research, participation
in civil society, relations between various levels of government, monitoring
and evaluation, etc.).
So far, several cities in the MENA region have embarked upon or are about
to embark upon a city development strategy. These include Aden (Yemen), Alexandria
(Egypt), Alep (Syria), Amman (Jordan), Sanaa (Yemen), Sfax (Tunisia) and Tripoli
(Lebanon)
For more details of the City Development Strategy seminars:
~ Programmes of the Marrakech
and Damascus
seminars
~ Lists of participants at the Marrakech
et Damascus
seminars
~ Proceedings for Marrakech seminar - Proceedings for Damascus seminar
