Peri-Urban Pressures: The Interplay of Land Strategies and Urbanization in Algeria’s Oran Metropolis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2023.v7n2-1

Keywords:

Urban Sprawl, Land Strategies, Peri-urban Development, Urbanization in Algeria, Land Use Planning, Spatial Governance, Socioeconomic Impacts of Urban Sprawl

Abstract

In contemporary times, the worldwide trend of urban expansion has become an inexorable force. This article engages in a comprehensive examination of the intricate dynamics surrounding urban sprawl and land utilization within the peri-urban regions of significant Algerian municipalities, with a specific focus on the city of Oran. Employing a methodology rooted in social geography, this study deploys a trio of investigative approaches: documentary analysis, spatio-temporal scrutiny of peri-urban domains, and in-situ field investigations to shed light on the intricate intricacies of land ownership dynamics in the context of urban sprawl. The swift development of the Oran metropolis, along with its manifold ramifications, underscores a profound disconnection between the aspirations of political stakeholders and the unfolding urban milieu. This article accentuates the pivotal role of land as a coveted resource profoundly influencing the contours of emerging urban regions. In response to these emerging challenges, Algeria must adopt integrated land and urban planning strategies that foster harmonious and sustainable urban development. This necessitates a comprehensive vision for metropolitan regions, a departure from sectoral planning that subordinates agriculture to industrial and urban considerations, and the formulation of efficient and coordinated urban planning instruments. Within this intricate nexus of urban and rural development, the urban sprawl's encroachment upon rural landscapes mandates a strategic approach to attain equilibrium and coherence within the urban fabric.

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Author Biography

Dr. Hayette Nemouchi, Research Centre for Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC), Oran, Algeria

Hayette Nemouchi is a geographer with a doctorate from the University of Caen Normandy in France. She is currently serving as a researcher in the "cities and territory" division at the Research Center in Social and Cultural Anthropology in Algeria. With nearly 20 years of experience, Nemouchi has extensively worked on land issues and their role in the construction and transformation of both rural and urban territories. Utilizing a social geography approach, she seeks to elucidate the spatial impact of social practices on land resources. Her research themes include land and development policies, land governance, urban and rural development, metropolization, and the city-countryside relationship. In her prior work, Nemouchi has examined land transformations and the related systems of actors in Algerian rural areas, along with urbanization processes near Algerian cities. She has contributed to international projects on agricultural sustainability in the Mediterranean basin (2011) and is actively involved in ongoing research concerning urban issues and women's access to real estate.

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Published

2023-10-10

How to Cite

Nemouchi, H. (2023). Peri-Urban Pressures: The Interplay of Land Strategies and Urbanization in Algeria’s Oran Metropolis. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 7(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2023.v7n2-1

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2023): Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs

Section

Urban Transformations

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Copyright (c) 2023 Dr. Hayette Nemouchi

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