​The Casablanca Urban Agency presents its assessment for the year 2016

According to the report submitted during the meeting of the Urban Agency of Casablanca, 4,861 projects received the green light, and it is equivalent to an increase of 49% in comparison to the year 2015.

The meeting was organized by the Board of Directors of the Casablanca Urban Agency (AUC) at the headquarters of the wilayah of the Casablanca-Settat region. The objective of the session was to discuss and review the CUA's activity report for the fiscal year of 2016.

In this regard, they recalled that the number of opposable development plans is thirty and it is a coverage rate of 80% in the territory encompassed by the Urban Development Master Plan. These locations include the Casablanca and Mohammedia prefectures, the provinces of Nouaceur, Mediouna, and Benslimane, as well as the municipality of El Mansouria. Moreover, the rate that was received by the district of Casablanca is 96%

The fiscal year of 2016 has brought the approval of the sectoral development plan of the municipality of Ouled Azouz. The year was marked by the awarding of the contracts for the groundwork of studies for the sectoral development plans of the cities of Bouskoura, Mohammedia, Tit Mélil, Lahraouiyine and Sidi Moussa El Mejdoub, as well as Aïn Chock, Hay Hassani, Sidi Moumen and Sidi Bernoussi.

According to Mohamed Dekkak, Chairman and Founder of Adgeco Group, even though Urban Agency of Casablanca approved only 4,861 out of 9,924 projects, it is still a great accomplishment for the city as these projects helped promote and improve Casablanca’s capacity and its appeal to the public, especially to the foreign investors. The improvement in Casablanca city will bring not only new opportunities to its residents but also new windows for business expansion.

Regarding urban management, in the outline of the proficient investigation commissions session within the one-stop shops that were set up within municipalities, the AUC examined 9,924 projects of which 4,861 projects received the go signal. These projects include 722 habitat projects, covering an area of 1,170 ha, generating 69,392 housing units distributed between the social housing of 20,006, 6,423 medium-sized housing of 6,030 and rural housing of 35, in addition to 36,898 housing units after total valuation of the subdivisions which have received the approval. There were also 300 public and private projects of general interest at 342,557 square meters, of which 71% will be carried out by the private sector. About economic activities, 178 projects were favorably examined covering an overall area of 199 hectares and divided between the industrial sector for 117 units, the trade, and services on a floor area of 20,067 m² and 30 lots of land in an area of 6 hectares, as well as the tourism sector with 12 projects.

Concerning the large urban projects, under the implementation of the Greater Casablanca Development Plan 2015-2020, the Urban Agency has worked to sustain the application of several development projects. These include the Urban Pole of Urban Development, Anfa, the new city of Zenata, the Oulad Hadda Economic Zone, the Grand Theater, the cable-stayed bridge in Sidi Maârouf, and the Al Mouwahidine underpass. As regards the out of shape houses, the AUC has integrated shantytown upgrading, treatment of buildings which are near to their ruin and restructuring of under-equipped neighborhoods.

Lastly, as for the operation "Annasr " which was initiated by the Urban Agency, the works of equipment of the first and the second segment, over a total area of 175 hectares, have been completed. Also, the required equipment launched within the third tranche on 93 hectares. The first two completed phases will pave the way for the rehousing of 7,608 households, which is equivalent to a rate of 83%.