Fringe belt analysis: a method for confirming the establishment of the historical boundaries of Rabat
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18778/1508-1117.25.03Keywords:
Urban morphology, fringe belts, urban evolution, Rabat, UNESCO World HeritageAbstract
Fringe belts, extensive areas of low density and wide open spaces designated for institutional use, are a morphological element in the urban landscape. Rabat, capital of Morocco, conceived during the French protectorate, received in 2012, a UNESCO World Heritage title for representing a modern urban planning model that integrates an open space system with its historical nucleus. Nonetheless, criterion (v) – to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment – was deemed grounds for rejecting Rabat’s nomination because the candidate presented seemed to be fragmented and showed a lack of a relationship between property and environment, according to the ICOMOS report. This study considers the Kasbah of Oudayas to be a unique and outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, in contrast to those cases presented in 2012. The aim of this study is to investigate the evolution of urban Rabat according to the morphological periods of development, in order to, ascertain whether or not the fringe belts can reveal the historic areas in which the city has evolved over time. It also seeks to understand how fringe belts may contribute to confirming the Kasbah of Oudayas as the first Islamic urban nucleus in the capital. As such, it is hoped that the paper may: assist practitioners and academics in the fields of urban morphology and heritage; provide initial insights into how to investigate outstanding traditional human settlements; reveal the architectural, historical and cultural value of such sites; demonstrate how the application and dissemination of a methodology may open new perspectives for studies on the subject.
References
Brignon J., Amine A., Boutaleb B., Martinet G., Rosenberger B., 1987, Histoire du Maroc, Colaboração de Michel Terrasse, Hatier.
Google Scholar
Caillé J., 2006, La ville de Rabat jusqu´au Protectorat Français: histoire et archéologie, Vol. 1, Editions Frontispice, Casablanca.
Google Scholar
Conzen M.P., 2004, Thinking about urban form: Papers on Urban Morphology, 1932–1998, Peter Lang, Oxford.
Google Scholar
Conzen M.P., 2009, How growing cities internalize their old urban fringes: a cross cultural comparison, „Journal of the International Seminar on Urban Form”, 13 (1), Dorchester, s. 29–54.
Google Scholar
Conzen M.R.G., 1969, Alnwick, Northumberland: a study in town-plan analysis, LTD Institute of British Geographers, London, Alden & Mowbray, Alden Press, Oxford.
Google Scholar
Es-Semmar M., 2011, L’évolution de la courbe urbanistique et historique de la ville de l’estuaire de Bouregreg Sala-Ribat Al Fath durant les 25 derniers siècles, Royame du Maroc, Rabat, Agence pour l’Aménagement de la Vallée du Bouregreg. Non Published Document.
Google Scholar
Icomos 1401, 2011, http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/1401.pdf (Acess: april 2016.)
Google Scholar
Lugan B., 2011, Histoire du Maroc: des origines à nous jours, Ellipses Éition Marketing S.A., Paris.
Google Scholar
Plan d’Aménagement Unifié de la Ville de Rabat (PAU), 2009, Mission 2: Diagnostic Analyses thématiques et spatiales Royaume du Maroc, Ministère de l’Habitat, de l’Urbanisme et de l’Aménagement de l’Espace, Agence Urbaine de Rabat-Salé, Atelier parisien d’urbanisme.
Google Scholar
Safe S., Pereira Costa S., 2014, Urban Evolution analysis as a means to confirm an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement in Rabat, [in:] Oliveira V., Pinho P., Batista L., Patatas T. and Monteiro C. (eds.), Our common future in Urban Morphology, FEUP, Porto.
Google Scholar
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
