Grand Casablanca
The Casablanca region is the largest urbanised region in the kingdom of Morocco, with 3.6 million inhabitants (2003) and an estimated population of 4.6 million inhabitants in 2015. The average population growth is expected to be 2.3% annually in 2000-2005. 22% of the national urban population lives here. 40% of the population is younger than 20 years old (1994). In 1907, the city covered an area of 50 hectares. Between 1990 and 2000, an increase by 15,000 hectares to 21,000 hectares was expected. In 1996, a land reform ledto the inclusion of some surrounding communities.In 1997, the region “Greater Casablanca” was created with an area of 121.412 ha consisting of 8 prefectures.
Casablanca was turned into an economic and finance centre. It has one of the biggest harbours in Africa and 60% of Moroccan industry is concentrated in this agglomeration (leather, textiles, mechanical, food, and chemical industries) – creating rapid urban growth, accompanied by the development of poor quarters (“bidonvilles”). Further industrial zones are being created. Many previously rural communities, such as Dar Bouazza, Médiouna, Til Mellil, Sidi Maarouf, Lisasfa, Ain Harrouda and Bouskoura, have been hit by the transformation of agricultural areas.
Urban Development Casablanca
"In order to understand the diversity of this metropolis and its urban development it is necessary to take a short look at its history. The city was founded on the repeatedly destroyed town of Anfa and had an oriental-Islamic urban structure until the early 20th century. During the period of the French Protectorate (1912–1956), Casablanca underwent a process of westernisation and modernisation that lead to a dual urban structure typical of the oriental-Islamic world at the time, with contrasting old and new towns.
Casablanca’s further urban spatial development was shaped by various generations of urban planners. It was formed by a strong discrepancy between planning and reality, and a continually changing planning objective. As a consequence Casablanca became a compact but heterogeneous construct, similar to an “urban puzzle”.
The period following national independence was characterised on the one hand by an immense growth in population accompanied by immense land consumption, and on the other hand by increasing industrialisation. In terms of the distribution pattern of land consumption, until the 1990s Casablanca mainly expanded concentrically. Since the discontinuation of the enlargement area, i.e., the coastal area between Casablanca and Mohammedia, the pressure of urbanisation has shifted more to the urban fringe. A closer examination of the pattern of urbanisation reveals that, besides the areas on the edge of Casablanca and its “initial” cores, the current prevailing pattern is highly dispersed. In spatial terms,the urban-rural relationship continues to be of central signifi cance – from an urban-rural antithesis to an urban-rural continuum" (see special insert of Topos Issue 74: Urban Agriculture Casablanca - Design as an Integrative Factor of Research, page 10).
