Rabat and Salé – Bridging the Gap Nchimunya Hamukoma, Nicola Doyle and Archimedes Muzenda
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FUTURE OF AFRICAN CITIES PROJECT DISCUSSION PAPER 13/2018 Rabat and Salé – Bridging the Gap Nchimunya Hamukoma, Nicola Doyle and Archimedes Muzenda Strengthening Africa’s economic performance Rabat and Salé – Bridging the Gap Contents Executive Summary .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Setting the Scene .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 The Security Imperative .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 Governance .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 Economic Growth .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 Infrastructure .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 Service Delivery .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Conclusion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 Endnotes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 About the Authors Nchimunya Hamukoma and Published in November 2018 by The Brenthurst Foundation Nicola Doyle are Researchers The Brenthurst Foundation at the Brenthurst Foundation. (Pty) Limited Archimedes Muzenda was the PO Box 61631, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa Machel-Mandela Fellow for Tel +27-(0)11 274-2096 2018. Fax +27-(0)11 274-2097 www.thebrenthurstfoundation.org This report was developed in partnership with the OCP Policy Center. All rights reserved. The material in this publication may not be reproduced, stored, or transmitted without the prior permission of the publisher. Short extracts may be quoted, provided the source is fully acknowledged. Layout and design by Sheaf Publishing, Benoni. RABAT AND SALÉ – BRIDGING THE GAP RABAT AND SALÉ Key facts and gures Rabat is Morocco’s capital, situated on the north-western coast. Salé is Morocco’s third largest city and Rabat’s sister city across the Bouregreg River MOROCCO Main economic activities Population Education 577 827 Rabat: 5 universities, including Morocco’s rst Salé: 890 403 public-private partnership university Services Proportion of total population of Morocco: 4.16% Mainly government Formerly manufacturing Contribution to 20 000 jobs lost between 2006 and 2010 national GDP Second most of any region; More than the regions 16%* of Marrakech and Fez *For region, including Kénitra Housing Villes sans Bidonvilles (Cities Recent Without Slums) programme infrastructure Introduced nationally in 2004; developments US$3 billion budget aimed at improving the quality of life of slum households Currently under construction; Achieved a near 50 per cent reduction Rabat Tower At 250 metres, will be highest skyscraper in the number of slum dwellers as a in Africa US$375 million investment proportion of the urban population nationally Expansion project worth Rabat-Salé Airport US$174 million underway Opened in 2011; 19.5km long Service provision Rabat-Salé Tramway First tram system in North Africa Cost: US$497 million Delivery mainly through concessions to private sector providers. Al Assima Development project worth is an intermediary organisation that Bouregreg Valley US$496 million to ‘bring Rabat was created to manage all private and Salé closer together’ sector service delivery contracts within the region Technopolis Opened in 2008 by private company Created 13 000 jobs Electrication: 98 per cent coverage Waste management: Government One site, Oum Azza, recently upgraded to fully-operational The 2011 Constitution launched a process sorting and landll facility of decentralisation, with fewer regions Water provision: and greater autonomy Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Dam on Bouregreg River, recently upgraded, The Bouregreg Valley Development Agency supplies the region including serves as an example of a modern urban agency Cassablanca BRENTHURST DISCUSSION PAPER 13/2018 3 Rabat AND SALé – BRIDGING THE GAP Executive Summary The twin cities of Rabat and Salé on Morocco’s west coast embody prominence in Morocco’s past and present, Rabat as capital and Salé as the third most populous city. Less than 20 years ago, however, Salé was charac- terised by large slums, high unemployment, poor service delivery and limited mobility. Today, it is a changed city, providing housing to the majority of Rabat’s working class, with a modern tram linking the two cities. Morocco’s ‘Cities without Slums’ programme, launched in 2004, has changed the face of cities across the country. With 60 per cent of the population now living in urban areas, this heroic effort, underpinned by strong economic growth, offers lessons to other African cities facing rapid urbanisation and social unrest. In Rabat and Salé, a shift towards decentralised governance and a clear focus on encouraging private invest- ment in infrastructure projects have also contributed to rapid improvement. This Discussion Paper investigates the success and shortcomings of Rabat and Salé in the areas of govern- ance, security, economic growth, housing, transportation and service delivery. The story of these cities show that while history is important, it is not deterministic, and that with a combination of consistent urban policy, strong leadership and effective public-private partnerships, it is possible to turn a city around within 20 years. BRENTHURST DISCUSSION PAPER 13/2018 4 RABAT AND SALÉ – BRIDGING THE GAP Introduction With a young, sometimes restive population, Morocco has to work hard to create the opportuni- When Ridley Scott was looking for a location for ties needed for social stability. his 2001 film Black Hawk Down, which depicts Figure 2: Urban Population Change in the 1993 US mission to capture a Somali warlord Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region (2004–2014) that went disastrously wrong, the original site of the event, Mogadishu, was deemed to be far too 1 000 000 dangerous. Instead they shot the film in Morocco, 800 000 with Salé’s Sidi Moussa district being transformed 600 000 into the Somali capital and the 17th century Rabat medina becoming Mogadishu’s ‘Bakara Market’. 400 000 Today they would have to go elsewhere. 200 000 Morocco’s slum removal initiative Program National 0 d’Action pour l’Urbaine Fabric, launched in 2001, and Sidi Sidi the subsequent Villes Sans Bidonvilles programme Salé Rabat Kacem Kénitra Témara Skhirat- ‘Cities without Slums’, launched in 2004, com- Slimane bined with an aggressive industrialisation and job Khemisset ■ 2004 ■ 2014 ■ Number of households creation strategy are dramatically changing the (2015) face of cities across the country. Such initiatives Source: Haut Commissariat au Plan, (2017) have been underpinned by strong growth in the economy averaging 4.3 per cent since 1999. Such challenges are nothing new. The focus follow- For Africa, where population numbers will dou- ing independence in 1956 was to deliver political ble to 2.5 billion by 2050 of which nearly two-thirds stability and territorial consolidation along with are projected to live in cities, Morocco’s experience basic infrastructure. In the process the govern- is instructive. ment, led by the monarchy, had to confront huge At independence in 1956, Morocco’s popula- social challenges. By 1981 as much as 60 per cent tion was 10.5 million. Sixty years later it has more of the population lived below the poverty line, than tripled, now 34.8 million. This trend is flatten- unemployment was at 20 per cent (perhaps twice ing with population growth falling from a high of as high among the youth), and 20 per cent of those 3.3 per cent per annum in the late 1950s to 1.4 per in the cities lived in shanties. There were bread cent in 2016. Urbanisation has been similarly riots and other popular protests. Improved eco- rapid. At independence 29 per cent of the popula- nomic growth (driven by privatisation), multiparty tion lived in cities, now it is close to 60 per cent. elections and a 1996 trade agreement with Europe Figure 1: Morocco’s Urban Population Growth alleviated some of the building social pressure. King Mohammed VI, who succeeded his father 80 King Hassan II in 1999, embarked on widespread social and political reforms, freeing political pris- 70 oners, improving the position of women under the law, improving social conditions, and stimulating 60 the economy. Nowhere can this be seen more than in Salé, Percentage 50 on the north side of the Bouregreg River from the capital Rabat. 40 Once a haven for pirates, Salé was the target 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 of Western navies in retaliation for attacks on Urban population growth European traders crossing the Atlantic. Today its Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, (2018) function is somewhat less dramatic; a satellite town to the nation’s capital. In its transition from BRENTHURST DISCUSSION PAPER 13/2018 5 RABAT AND SALÉ – BRIDGING THE GAP pirate town to dormitory, its one million inhab- Mogadishu. Today, it’s a city and a country in a itants largely got left behind, where conditions hurry. were by the end of the 20th century more akin to Mogadishu than Rabat: large slums, high unem- ployment, lack of economic diversification – with Setting the Scene textile factories providing the majority of jobs – and poor water supply and sanitation. Although separated by the common Bouregreg Now another transition is in progress. In the last