The UNESCO site of the Casbah in the Master Plan of Algiers (PDAU): between heritage requirements and the need for coordination

Abstract

This article addresses the question of how to protect those historical, urban sites, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, from the negative impact of stress, caused by the urban dynamic. We put forward the hypothesis that, as part of a holistic vision of protection, safeguard measures must be integrated into the urban development plans for those towns in which these sites are an integral part. This will avoid conflict between the demands of development, and the safeguard measures. Through the example of the UNESCO site of the Casbah, we will examine the strategy of the PDAU of Algiers, to safeguard of the UNESCO site and its reintegration into the Algiers agglomeration. This article adopts a methodology based on a critical, comparative analysis of the strategic heritage plan, as laid down in the PDAU. It examines the proposed safeguarding measures and evaluates its coordination with the safeguarding plan. An examination of the solutions proposed by the PDAU reveals several morphological weaknesses and contradictory prescriptions, favoring a poor connection between the safeguard plan and the PDAU. Consequently, only an integrated approach to urban conservation will reinforce the protection of the site and ensure its reconnection with the Algiers metropolis.