Algeria urbanisation, policies, tools and actors: the case of Algiers

This paper is part of a wider study to analyse the dynamics of urban development in the Mediterranean area. Here we consider the problems of the real boundaries of the metropolis and of planning mechanisms when they interact with society. This should help identify new and more efficient mechanisms to guide and govern the Mediterranean urban system. After a brief description of the Maghreb context with particular emphasis on Algeria, the analysis focuses on the development/urbanisation dialectic in Algeria with a view to examining the evolution of urbanization patterns. We then look at the juridical and administrative aspects of urban planning, identifying both its achievements and limitations; this is done by analysing the actors involved and the tools used. This is followed by a brief examination of Algiers, taking into consideration both the unusual approach which the urban management has taken in recent years and the city as a metropolis and capital.