Presentation - SCUPAD

Rapidly expanding city in urbanizing World
The Case of
Aleppo
Dr. Fatina Kourdi
University of Aleppo – Syria
Austria - Vienna - Salzburg
10 – 14 May 2006
2

The characteristic of the present urban
development in the Middle East in general is
dominated through the rapidly growth of cities,
to become a metropolis. The population of these
metropolis grew strongly during the last half of
the 20th century.
3

Syria
is one of this example. The country located in a
region which considered to be the place of the
birth of urban development, with a history of
more than 5000 years.
The variety of cultural heritage in the country is
reflected in urban development and in the
economic life of the country.
Even the influence of the occident affected the
cityscape in the last 150 years.
4

Syria faces since Its independence in 1945
a comprehensive changes.
In general, the country ought to be modernised step
by step. Liberalisation of trade is still the
characteristic of the economy, activating the
private sector, as well as the use of capital
investments from foreign countries are therefore
important elements.
Syria, a central organized state, supports in
particular the two metropolis Damascus &Aleppo. 5

Damascus and Aleppo
The population of these metropolis grew strongly
during the last half of the 20th century. The main
reasons are:
general surplus of births (2.5%),
massive immigration from the country side
and from the small cities to these metropolis
domestic migrations of minorities and a
rising immigration of foreigners.
6

Syria growth since 1960
20000
18000
16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
2005
1994
1981
1970
1960
7

Aleppo
8

It is difficult to find a city like Aleppo in which
economical and architectural activities joined together
for thousands of years.
Aleppo was conquered by many civilizations which left
their traces in the urban and architectural character of
the city.
Aleppo was inhibited by different nationalities that
belong to three religions. They lived harmoniously with
each other and cooperated to improve living conditions.
The City was always able to keep in touch with the
external world. It both influenced it and was influenced
by it. This is due to the ability of its population to
9
communicate with it.

Aleppo
The city was and still an
important centre of
trade and industry
between east and west,
commercial and
industrial activities,
trade, arts and crafts,
making the city
attractive.
Aleppo's Old City is one
of the biggest and best
conserved Islamic old
cities. Its urban entity
of traditional is unique
in the world .
14

Aleppo
Aleppo is now the
largest city in the
country with
around
2.5m inhabitants,
with rapidly
growing about
50,000 additional
people each year.
16

SYRIAN POPULATION DISTRIPUTION BY GOVERONERATE,
ACCORDING TO CIVIL REGISTRATION RECORD IN . 1 / 1 / 2005
Dar ' a
%4
Al-Sweida
Al-Rakka %2
%4
Al-Hasakeh
%6
Idleb
%8
Deir-ez-Zor
%7
Lattakia
%5
69
Tartous
%4
Quneitra
%2
Hama
%9
Damascus
%8
Homs
%9
Damascus; 7.8
Damascus Rural '
%8
Aleppo
%24
Aleppo; 23.5
Nearly the quarter of
Syrian's population
lives in Aleppo
Aleppo
Homs
Damascus –city
Damascus-rural
23.5%
9%
7.8%
8%
17

How did Aleppo grow during the last century?
• Modernization of state started in ottoman empire in the
middle of 19 century, which was reflected on the growth
of cities. Several legality were develop Corresponding to
this aim.
• 1877 the first municipality in Aleppo was established
• 1883 the first law has dealt with dividing and organizing
the lands for building
• The growth of Aleppo can be classified into 4 stages :
• 1860 – 1920
• 1920 – 1946
• 1946 – 1980
18
• 1980 – 2005

1860 – 1920
By 1900 , the City of Aleppo included approximately 100,000
inhabitants, including the suburbs which had developed outside
the main gates since the 16 century.
19

• In the late 19th century,
the European influence
started to be evident in the
architectural design of the
city.
• The city started
expanding westward
where modern residential
European-styled quarters
were constructed, which
clearly reflected
contemporary European
town-planning influences.
20

1920 – 1946
• 1899 the first master plan was
prepared by the German
planner Jung, which directed
the expanding of the city
towards west,
• In 1920 The city was provided
with a train station ( Baghdad
Station ) The Tram connected
the old city with new quarters,
• The city had a big garden and
wide streets with trees
according the European style .
21

1920 – 1946
During the mandate period
two master plans of the city
were prepared.
• 1932 Dangeit Master plan
• 1935 Icoshar Master plan
The both neglected the old
city as an area with special
characteristic.
The execution of the master
plans caused a physical and
social damage to the old
fabric
22

1920 – 1946
New construction
technologies gave the city new
image
23

1946-1980
After Syria's independence the country
witnessed a major industrial and economical
development, which was reflected mainly in
the growth and expansion of its cities.
25

1946-1980
In Aleppo this
growth necessitated the
transfer of many of the
commercial, financial
and administrative
functions in addition to
residential function
outside the Old City.
26

1946-1980
The population increasing of Aleppo caused by:
• large immigration from country side
• large immigration from smaller city to
Aleppo
A big need of new cheep houses especially for
poor and middle class family, caused through
this immigrations and through the social and
economical change in the form of family which
transfer from nuclear to small family.
27

1946-1980
Massive interventions between 1940 and 1980,
caused by master plans of various European
urban planners, there strategy focused on:
• modernization the city according to
European principles,
• Concentrating on the western part of the city
and ignoring the eastern newly growing part
of the city
1954 Gotten Master plan
1974 Banshoya Master plan
28

• 1954 the state
started to erect new
social housing
projects reflecting
the political regime
which was highly
influenced by the
Socialism.
• In Aleppo this
projects located in
the northern and
eastern part of the
city and were plan
for the poor and
short income class.
31

Implementing of these projects defined
clearly the Segregation line in the city,
which goes from the northern east to the
southern west, dividing the city
depending on the economic factor instead
of traditional factors, which depended on
Religion, Tribe, or family.
34

In spite of several projects, the city
wasn't able to provide the appropriate
residence, to cover the sudden and
rapid increase of the population,
That's force the new inhabitants to do
that illegally in different ways:
35

1- erecting houses inside the administrative city in
the still inbuilt areas
36

2- In the Old City
Subdivision of the existing historical building into smaller units
for different families and adding illegally one, tow or more stors
37

3- In the surroundings protection area, which was often for
agricultural use.
Forming, a “belt of poverty”
38

Aleppo
A city with differnt faces
39

In In the the 16 13
Hellenistic In century In 1980 1930 1900 1850
In 2005
40

1980 - 2005
It’s obvious that the increasing urban expansion Of cities in
Syria is today a common phenomena
this phenomena
reach In Aleppo
its top, the city
has nowadays
more than 2.5
millions, with
density of 275
Person/hectare
Quneitra
0.8
0.0
Tartous
2.1
6.1
Dra`a
5.5
4.1
Al-Sweida
2.6
1.0
Al-rakka
3.1
6.0
Al-hasakeh
4.2
8.9
Idleb
3.8
11.0
4.6
Deir-ezzor
7.0
Lattakia
5.2
4.7
Hama
5.4
10.6
Homs
8.6
8.6
Aleppo
26.9
17.9
Damascus Rural
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION BY PLACE
OF RESIDENCE ( Urban & Rural) AT MID YEAR 2005
15.3
9.9
Damascus
41
16.2
0.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0

• It’s difficult to Ignore this phenomena
,with its great usage of resources and its
negative environmental impact .
• This Problem is today one of the most
important issue and task for the local
authorities and municipality, especially
after the adapting of 21 Agenda with its
goal the “sustainable development” .
42

This phenomena began at the end of sixties of last century, and
grew rapidly since that day until now, reaching its top in the
nineties of the twentieth century .
4,600,000
4,400,000
4,200,000
4,000,000
3,800,000
3,600,000
3,400,000
3,200,000
3,000,000
2,800,000
2,600,000
2,400,000
2,200,000
2,000,000
1,800,000
1,600,000
1,400,000
small cities
1,200,000
1,000,000
country side
Aleppo's city
greater Aleppo
2004
1994
1981
1970
1960
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
43

Illegal settlement -Facts and figures
1958
1981 1994
Total
Legal
illegal
1958
2200
1800
400
1981
4900
3500
1400
1994
7300
5200
2100
2005
9200
5700
3500
2006, Aleppo, as the
fastest growing city has:
2.5 millions inhabitants
More than 60% of its
population live in about
35% of total area
44

Illegal settlement -Facts and figures
22 illegal areas
surrounding the
city mostly from
the southern,
eastern and
northern.
45

easons of uncontrolled growth of Aleppo
• The absence of regional planning.
• The inflexibility of master plans to correspond to the
changeable socio - economic conditions .
• some legalese which enlarged the problem (the renting
law, the law /60/ which stopped the operations of
equipping the lands for housing uses which led to
increasing the prices of lands prepared for construction)
• The eccentricity in directing the city and the
administrative corruption.
46

The urban
form of the
illegal
settlement
ensure that
it follows a
clear system
managed by
(land mafia)
The Mafia
bought the
farms and
planed it as a
residential
area for the
new
immigrants.
47

The farm was divided into plots prepared for building houses
neglecting other functions needed (infrastructure, streets, green
areas , and other social services, schools health points….) 48

• The house typology of the illegal house reflects the socioeconomical
condition of the family ,
• The house forms the urban unit in the illegal agglomeration
• This form change step by step as following
– selling form, one room house with open courtyard and
with preliminary sanitary services.
- Horizontal expansion stage: building of one or many
more rooms,with the roofing of courtyard.
- Vertical expansion stage: other stories are added and a
part of the ground floor is taken for commercial or work
shops.
49

• It is wrong to consider these phenomena as a separated
phenomenon which the citizens alone bear its burden.
However, it’s primary a political and economical problem,
• Since the nineties of last century the problem started to be
one of the most important subject for conferences and for
related authorities
• tow years ago the municipality started practically to find
solution for this problem, but all happens with the same
instruments and strategies which foxes on the subject as an
architectural problem in a limited area regardless the
political, economical and administrative reasons.
56

Thank You For Your Attention
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