The transition zone between old and modern Saida : a strategic urban design intervention.

Abstract

The urban typology of the city of Saida has the typical urban design problematic of a medieval city reshaped and transformed by forces of modernization and population growth. At the beginning of the last century, the old city of Saida expanded beyond its original boundaries and a ‘new city’ with wide roads and a modern character now surrounds the old medieval core. Today, the structure of the city of Saida consists of an old core, then a transition zone occurs and beyond that zone, the heart of the new city is the modern Central Business District. Currently, this transition zone is disconnected from other parts of the city, it is in a state of stagnation, and is undergoing a process of incremental development. This research investigates the role of the transition zone in the future development of the city of Saida as a whole and explores ways to integrate this zone within its urban context. The transition zone exhibits a vibrant commercial street life along Al-Moutran Street which is recognized as the major hub for all activity concentration in the area. However, this street is also separating the old city from its immediate surroundings; the transition zone. Being at the edge of the old city, and being a site saturated with constant commercial activities, my hypothesis is that Al-Moutran Street is a prime area that is today a lost opportunity to the city of Saida. This research proposes a series of linkages, connections and open spaces along this street stitching it back to the old city and connecting it to the transition zone. Through a holistic understanding of the urban context, this thesis aims to develop an urban design strategic intervention that converts this street into a vibrant urban corridor that reconnects the old core to the modern city linking vertically the sea to the land castle and horizontally the old city to its modern extension.