Islamic law for water and land management and its impact on urban morphology

Urban morphology and territorial landscape of Islamic cities were deeply affected by the Islamic law that regulated the ownership, distribution and use of water and land. Due to the climatic exigencies and the economy of subsistence that was mostly based on agriculture, water was a precious liquid that was treated with special care. A sophisticated system of subdivision of shares was developed by jurists from the succession law and right of ownership over a long history of daily practices and cumulated body of legal opinions. Consequently, the analysis of urban forms in Muslim cities cannot bypass the study of these mechanisms that are found in books of jurisprudence, archives and courts records and the people’s practices that are rooted in the local traditions and that are still standing in some parts of the Muslim world. The present study aims at presenting these mechanisms and shade light on their physical impact in the Muslim cities. The complex geometry of land subdivision in both urban and rural areas, and water irrigation system are analyzed through the available maps and aerial views. Cities such as Blida, Kolea and Tamentit, Algeria, provide sufficient documents for the study of this relationships between the Islamic law and the urban form and thus, serve as case studies. The study aims at presenting a good example of the interaction between human needs, faith and spirituality, and laws of nature, and thus add a new dimension to the concept of sustainability

New Towns In Algeria Purism Of Plans & Perspectives Vs. Perplexity Of Policy-Makers

The New Towns policy in Algeria is a planning tool of the SNAT National Strategic Plan (2030), which aims to correct the double distortion of the national urban hierarchy and promote the post-oil smart economy. The country is facing continuous urbanisation of coastal areas and growth of some major cities, especially the capital. Contrary to the vetted plans, alluring 3D images and virtual animations approved and shown in the media, the implementation process looks quite fuzzy and faces many challenges. Some of the launched New Towns are lagging behind schedule and are being converted into mass housing only programmes. Others are temporarily on hold. The aim of the study is to assess current planning practises in the light of global experience. The extensive literature review provides key principles that help to validate these experiences. The paper aims to draw the attention of decision-makers to the gap between master plans and current practises, and provides unedited information on the scarce knowledge about New Towns in the country

L’HERITAGE ARCHITECTURAL COLONIAL : POSSESSION ET PATRIMONIALISATION CONTESTÉES Cas de l’Algérie

L’héritage colonial ne cesse de se développer en  une branche du domaine de conservation et de mise en  valeur  tant au plan scientifique qu’en  pratique de sauvegarde. Cependant, son statut présente une problématique aigue du fait de son appartenance controversée. La diversité de son appellation ; « patrimoine partagé », patrimoine d’Outre-mer », « patrimoine du XIX-XXème siècles »  contournant le terme colonial (ICOMOS 2007, 41)[1] en  vue d’obtenir  des aides financières, surtout des pays ex-colonisateurs, n’a pas empêché la continuation les débats académiques et politiques houleux sur la nature de sa possession et son  statut. L’article présente d’abord la problématique de sa patrimonialisation qui fait face à la mémoire anticoloniale et à sa possession contestée, et analyse les champs de confrontation à la lumière de sa présence sémantique et de sa valeur d’usage. Au plan pratique, Il propose aux gens du domaine cette approche binaire en  vue de l’encadrement de la stratégie et des opérations de sauvegarde.[1]  Stovel H.  (2007) Convention du Patrimoine mondial : mécanismes et organes de protection ICOMOS in Journalisme et patrimoine mondial (Moumouni Ch et Simard C. ed.)  LA presse de l’Université de Laval