Housing
rehabilitation
in historic
settlements of
the Arab region
Challenges and Opportunities
Join us at the Palm Plaza Hotel in Marrakech for a groundbreaking conference + learn about best practice case studies and strategies
13-15 December 2023
ABOUT THE
PROJECT
Housing Rehabilitation in Historic Settlements of the Arab Region: Challenges and Opportunities
The project “Challenges and Opportunities for Housing Rehabilitation in Historic Settlements of the Arab Region” is a joint initiative of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) andthe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The project’s goals are :
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to take stock of the status of housing in historic settlements of selected countries in the Arab region (Morocco, KSA, Iraq, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon and Oman) from all relevant angles (legal, administrative, technical, financial, environmental, social, etc.)
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to define the needed solutions that would prevent or reverse their degradation and disappearance, and;
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to propose operational pilot projects to test these solutions. The operational pilot projects would lead the way for an effective housing policy in historic settlements in the MENA region.
The project culminates in a regional conference in Dcember 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco, in which key actors and stakeholders in the field of historic centers rehabilitation within the ten aforementioned countries will present successful case studies and co-develop guidelines.
Nora Al Sayed
Project lead architect
Authority for Culture & Antiquities Conservation Department
Manama, Bahrain
Dr. Soumyen Bandyopadhyay
Director of ARCHIAM
Professor University of Liverpool, Liverpool UK
Sarah Saad
Project Officer
Urban planner and Designer UN-Habitat
Beirut, Lebanon
Kareem Ibrahim
Architect
Co-founder of Takween
Cairo, Egypt
13-15 Dec. 2023
3 days conference in Marrakech with 43 experts + 18 case studies, from 10 countries in the Arab region
* Site visits + workshops limited to invited guests, click on detailed agenda for more details.
WORKSHOPS
Workshop #1:
15 December, 2023
1:30 min
Workshop #2:
15 December, 2023
1:30 min
43 experts from the Arab region will develop guidelines for housing rehabilitation in historic settlements
Workshop #3:
15 December, 2023
1:30 min
Workshop #4:
15 December, 2023
1:30 min
Conservation Management Plan and housing rehabilitation
Community participation &
creative financing
Land tenure policy and sustainable governance
Resilience and reconstruction in contexts in post-crisis contexts
In this session, attendees are asked to co-develop efficient and realistic strategies to lead and implement conservation management plans in historic centers in the Arab region, with a focus on means to improve the socio-economic conditions of local residents.
In this workshop, attendees are asked to draft guidelines to encourage and involve community members in the rehabilitation of their homes in historic centres, and to define creative manners to finance these projects.
Attendees will outline potential land tenure policies and bylaws that can enable the rehabilitation/ reconstruction of housing units in historic centres, as well as their sustainable post occupancy management monitoring.
Attendees will define the characteristics that confer resilience to historic centers, especially when facing natural disasters or conflicts. They will also establish guidelines for reconstruction in post-crisis contexts.
Workshop outcomes will be shared during the plenary session #2 on 15 December 2023.
13 December 2023
Medina of Marrakech
Case studies visit
9:00-17:00
14 December 2023
Palm Plaza Hotel, Marrakech
Plenary session 1
10:00-11:00
Introductions by the project's partners, supporters and lead consultant
Case studies presentation session #1
11:00-13:00
Learning from 18 case studies
Lunch Break
Case studies presentation session #2
14:00-17:30
Learning from 18 case studies
15 December 2023
Palm Plaza Hotel, Marrakech
Workshop sessions
#1 and #2
9:00-12:15
Lunch Break
Workshop sessions
#3 and #4
13:15-16:15
Tea break
Plenary session 2
Round table
16:30-18:10
Q&A + Closing Remarks
Closing dinner
CONFERENCE
AGENDA
Project partners:
Conference hosted by:
With the cooperation of:
With the support of:
Join Us in Marrakech, Morocco
13-15 December 2023
Hosted by UN-Habitat, the Islamic Development Bank and UNESCO in cooperation with the Ministry of National Territorial planning, urbanism, housing and city policy.