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uMasses take to the streets of the Casbah in Gillo Pontecorvo's 1966 film The Battle of Algie1·s (below), a historical fiction depicting
rebel action against French colonial rule- these scenes were recalled on 22 March 2019 when Algeria remonstrated against
Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decision to postpone presidential elections (above)the French office says it's too early to
comment, apart from a defensive letter
published reiterating t he relevance of
Nouvel's expertise. It left open questions
regarding what his research process would
entail, who would be consulted, how he would
engage the stakeholders, what technical
knowledge of historical architecture would be
brought to bear, and even the scope of work
the commission entailed. Lynda Ouad, an
architect in charge of technical advice on the
Casbah for L'Institut Paris Region, suggested
the scope would principally be limited to temporary urbanism
projects reimagining empty sites where collapsed buildings have
been taken over by informal uses or dumped ·with piles of debris. But
without an integral process for engaging residents and stakeholders,
the project is likely to fail in terms of economic and social equity.
Fez, home to equally contested ancient heritage sites, can offer
some tools: for its medina restoration, a central point of contact was
established to build confidence with local stakeholders (involving
one-to-one discussions ·with as many as 1,200 families) and public
notices were posted on houses alerting
absentee owners of forthcoming work. The
government also provided half of the
financing for renovations; the other half had
to be supplied by occupants, thereby ensuring
stakeholder buy-in.
Concerns about who benefits from
revitalisation and for whom the city is made,
expressed forcefully by Lambert's letter, are
central questions for Algiers, as its popular
uprising pushes for more change in the
AKG-IMAGES/ ALBUM governing power. With policies that
encourage investment from the private sector while protecting
residents' interests, the Casbah can be a model for how a country
that led the era of postcolonial revolution can be equally ambitious
in a time of authoritarian retrenchment, creating an open city that
resonates with local customs and shares the benefits of
revitalisation throughout society. Some are confident that Algerian
culture can ·withstand the onrush of capital; it's important to engage
residents and ensure that guarantees and policy protection are put
in place.