Informal settlements’ urban recognition process: A case study of the Essadikia Quarter in Laghouat, Algeria

Abstract

The main topic of this article is about the dealing with the informal settlements in the city.This paper aims to identify urban transformations in Essadikia, an informal settlement known for its high density, in the city of Laghouat in the south of Algeria. Its history explains the paradoxes of the algerian city,and more precisely, in Saharan cities where quarters grew rapidly after the Algerian independence in 1962. This study examines the urban recognition process through the strategies of different actors. Our study based on fieldwork, questionnaires and interviews with local residents and public actors involved in the regularization process. From the state to the residents of Essadikia, the transfer of land ownership is ensured, by the municipality. This local authority is the main actor in this regularization project of retrocession. Despite the different strategies adopted by actors, The results obtained show that the urban recognition process of this quarter is partially successful due to the multiple challenges of the urban integration especially geographical position and the presence of the mountain.