The director of the Meknès Urban Agency (AUM), Aicha El Houzali, reported on Monday a coverage rate in urban planning documents in the city of Meknès of 98% at the end of 2015.
In the context of local and adaptive urban planning, 21 upgrading plans for under-equipped neighbourhoods were carried out within a contractual framework and 30 plans are under study with a view to contributing to improving the living conditions of the population and the quality of the urban fabric, specified Aicha El Houzali, who was speaking during the 14th Board of Directors of the AUM, held under the chairmanship of the Minister of Urban Planning and National Territory Planning, Driss Merroun.
She announced the adoption of the first development plan for the Medina of Meknès, which constitutes a reference and orientation document for the consecration of the urban and architectural specificities of the Ismaili city.
The year 2015 was also marked by the completion of urban planning documents and the support of development projects and initiatives with a view to improving the quality of life and the urban landscape and enhancing the natural, urban, and architectural heritage, she added.
She specified that the Agency aims to be a force of proposal that contributes effectively to accompanying the sustainable development process in urban and rural environments.
At the level of urban planning, important steps have been taken in the consultation process concerning the master plan for urban development of Greater Meknès which has been adopted by the local monitoring committee, made known Aicha El Houzali.
The official affirmed that this process should lead to the development of a strategic document capable of solving the urban problems posed at the level of Greater Meknès.
The director of the AUM indicated that 14 urban planning documents are under examination, specifying that 5 other urban planning documents have been launched with the objective of producing a new generation of documents that are more flexible and achievable within reasonable deadlines with the involvement of all actors.
These new urban planning documents are adapted to the new version of the reference texts and carried out within the framework of local urban planning, she continued.
Concerning urban management, new principles have been adopted, notably those relating to sustainable urbanisation by ensuring compliance with energy efficiency rules, noted the director of the AUM.
Aicha El Houzali indicated that 5,200 projects have been examined, of which 83% have been adopted, noting that the realisation of these projects will allow the equipment of 6,567 plots of land reserved for housing and 108 plots of land dedicated to public services, as well as the construction of 8,398 homes, including 4,014 social ones.
It will also proceed to the creation of 62 industrial units, 14 tourism projects, and the construction of 65 public establishments, she noted.
She recalled that the AUM has also ensured the modernisation of its electronic administration and its communication tools by opening up to its institutional environment and civil society.
Returning to the 2016 action plan, the official reported on an effective and interactive support strategy to ensure the sustainable development of the agency's intervention within the framework of advanced regionalisation.
She indicated that an innovative approach will be adopted to adapt and meet the challenges that arise through strategic programmes and projects with a regional dimension and which will be carried out with the involvement of all partners and stakeholders.
