Approche Méthodologique pour une Stratégie de Revitalisation des Centre Historiqes Cas de la Casbah d Alger

Abstract

This work is part of a vast field of research, that of a new mode of intervention in the historic centers, it presents some reflections to shed light on existing anomalies in terms of intervention on the historic centers. It provides an overview of approaches and international efforts, in terms of historic centers revitalization, as well as the positive and / or negative impacts of these approaches. The objective of this research is to develop a strategy, through a methodological approach, for better revitalization of Algiers historic center, relying primarily on its future in terms of population. This work has, therefore, to define the reality of revitalization of historic centers in the Algerian context, based on the reading of the gentrification phenomenon, considered as negative consequence of the revitalization of historic centers, in order to provide a more tailored approach given our specific and local requirements. The Casbah of Algiers, (here taken as a case study), like the historic centers in Algeria, presents today an entity of the city particularly degraded. Away from all politics of housing‟s revitalization in the Casbah, the operations of relocation and intensification, which the state had used, seems also deviate from the objectives set in terms of development. Emphasizing the decay process; this policy made the Casbah today as a place of transit, rented or occupied by people with very low incomes, always in search of social housing, and unconscious of its patrimonial values, which resulted a process of impoverishment and proliferation of informal housing. This situation gives us an appropriate case to shed light on the dysfunction in terms of approaches, processes and action frameworks, and calls into questions the intervention in the historical centers. Our approach oscillates between several approaches: a theoretical and conceptual approach is used to provide a theoretical basis, by defining some concepts used in this work. It also helps to trace the genesis of the revitalization of historic centers in the international discourse. A comparative approach, which is held in conjunction with the revitalization experiments performed in different cities, including the success and failure which could inspire us to our case study. Then we move to establish a diagnosis of the current situation in the Casbah, based on a quantitative approach by the use of statistical sources, a qualitative approach based on the interviews. These are complemented by the analysis of urban landscape of the Casbah. Finally we try to provide, through what has come before, a methodological framework for a strategy to revitalize the old center of Algiers. The results of this work has identified some causes that have participated in the no-outcome of interventions in the Casbah of Algiers, and emphasized the process of his evanescence. Informal ownership of spaces by residents, which shows a little interest in this universal heritage listed by UNESCO, seems to be the main cause of the failure of various interventions already undertaken. This justifies the need for intervention, not only in terms of physical rehabilitation of historic centers, but also in terms of revitalization based primarily on the residential component.