Maghreb port cities in transition: the case of Tangier

Special issue "The contemporary port city and the new models of port-city relationships"International audienceThe port of Tangier is about to become one of the most dynamic ports across the Euro-Mediterranean area. The valuing of exceptional locational qualities as maritime crossroads between international shipping routes (Gibraltar Straits) occurs in a context of exacerbated rivalries among Mediterranean transhipment hubs (e.g. Algeciras, Valencia, Cagliari, Gioia Tauro, Taranto, and Marsaxlokk). Locally and regionally, it is made possible through the physical separation between the port city of Tangier and the new multifunctional site of Tangier Med, located 30 km eastwards. This paper recalls briefly the main historical steps of Tangier's development since its origins. Then, it reviews its recent evolution on three different geographic levels: the one of maritime flows and international port competition, the one of regional integration of Tangier in the Moroccan and Maghreb transport systems, and the local issues of port-city redevelopment both within the traditional city and at the new site of Tangier Med. Some concluding remarks aim at linking together these three levels of analysis in terms of the possible futures of this ambitious project