80955 CITIES ALLIANCE CITIES ALLIANCE IN ACTION IN ACTION Morocco’s Tetouan Paves the Way With Its City Development Strategy As a gateway between Europe and the Middle East and Northern Africa, Morocco has historically played a Project: Metropolitan Cooperation in the dynamic role in international and regional movements. Tetouan region: The Role of CDS More recently, one of the country’s main ports, Partners: USAID, UN-HABITAT, the Tetouan, became one of the region’s first metropolitan International Network for Urban Development, areas to employ a City Development Strategy (CDS). the Arab Media Forum for Environment and Development, the Near East and North Africa In 2003 a royally backed decentralisation initiative Region (NENA) Urban Forum, and the Morocco increased Moroccan cities’ administrative and financial Urban Forum responsibilities while reuniting many previously divided Duration: 2003 - 2009 municipalities. This set the stage for local authorities to cooperate and systematically develop a plan for Financing: USD 245,000 Tetouan. The greater metropolitan area’s economy is Key Results: centred on tourism and commerce, but many have been • Brought public and private stakeholders left behind: A fifth of its roughly one million residents together live in informal settlements, and nearly half of these • Improved their knowledge of the territory households lack electricity, potable water and other • Built the capacity of local and regional basic services. authorities • Guided urban projects in the area “The CDS showed that local government • Inspired other CDSs in the region must take ownership and lead urban development efforts.� problems and future. Everyone’s knowledge of the Mohamed Idaomar, Mayor of Tetouan territory improved, and some critical urban issues were highlighted for the first time. An analysis of the The CDS sought to address a number of challenges: a metropolitan area’s comparative advantages concluded fragile economic base incapable of generating enough that its strengths lay in its mountains and natural jobs or resources for a rapidly growing population; reserves, coastal tourism areas, good airport and roads, proliferating informal settlements that concentrate the proximity to quality training and higher education poor; inadequate infrastructure and services (especially institutions, and the vibrant Medina historic centre. in poor neighborhoods); disorganised urban transport and mobility; and environmental degradation, A vision for the city’s future was reflected in the particularly with regard to water resources. following strategic objectives: • Enhancement of key urban spaces; Results • Adequate urbanisation of zones with strong The CDS process marked the first occasion for members potential; of the general public, the private sector, civil society and • Capitalise on the city’s heritage as a source of public officials to come together to discuss the city’s potential development for Greater Tetouan; www.citiesalliance.org • Integrating settlements for an inclusive city; develop plans using similar methodologies. Further • Public spaces, urban marketing and promotion; afield, cities in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine and • Reconcile Tetouan with its lake shores and Syria developed CDSs as well. manage development of the river zone; and • More effective institutions and local governance Lessons Learned Each objective included short- and long-term The CDS process was led by the municipality and components (for example, the need to create a project positioned it as the leader of the area’s development and board and urban district councils). A CDS guide was investment plans. It prompted the mayor to think of prepared, and local and regional authorities received himself not just as an administrator but as someone support in enhancing their management, human accountable for city development and responsible for resources, and financial processes. finding funding for capital investment priorities. At the same time, giving citizens input into the process turned The CDS, which brought together public and private them into stakeholders with a sense of ownership. And stakeholders, reinforced the decentralisation process by creating a framework with a global vision, it enabled and facilitated inclusive policies as well as greater coherence and consistency among various projects. accountability and other good governance principles. It has also served to institutionalise the strategic planning The process would have been more efficient if the CDS approach and to direct local and national spending. targets and their priority levels had been validated through a formal participatory process and then The USD 1.26 million Tetouan urban development translated into action plans that identified financial programme for 2009-2012 sought to integrate 42 under- resources to be used for implementation. Nevertheless, equipped neighbourhoods in the urban fabric and this did not stop Tetouan’s various municipalities from improve their residents’ living conditions. The local proceeding to create local development plans that government contributed about a fifth of the funding. benefitted from the CDS’ strategic framework. Then in 2012 the national government launched a USD 20 million dirhams project focusing on cleaning up To overcome the usual constraints posed by electoral Oued Martil, building an electrical substation, and cycles, it is useful to promote broad local ownership of constructing a social complex in the Jbel Dersa the process and include stakeholders such as adacemics neighborhood that will have space dedicated to local and local government assocations that can support the associations, a service centre for young people, an process after key political leaders depart. apprenticeship training centre and preschool classes. The government’s national Villes sans Bidonvilles programme also invested in upgrading the 22 most underserved informal settlements. The CDS also prompted local authorities to fund other projects, including the renovation of a major bridge linking the eastern and western parts of Tetouan, and to upgrade local educational institutions. Perhaps most significantly, Tetouan’s experience paved the way for other metropolitan areas in the region to adopt a strategic approach as well. It also informed new The CDS process gave members of the public their first opportunity to participate in official discussions about the city’s problems and future.(Photos: legislation requiring Moroccan municipalities to Günther Flaig) www.citiesalliance.org