In Laâyoune, the Phosboucraa Foundation is launching the second phase of the “Dessine-moi une ville”(draw me a city) initiative, a citizen consultation project to design a city that meets the needs of all its users, with the aim of putting people at the heart of urban development.
The project consists in assessing the specific needs of children, young people, women, and people with reduced mobility,who are not taken into account as much as they should be in traditional urban planning. Thanks to this project, these groups will have the opportunity to share their expectations for their living spaces and help shape ideas for development related to mobility, green spaces, and public spaces.
Participants experience a form of playful expression based on drawing.They can transform urban space according to their needs and desires using an interactive creation tool, proven more effective in a collaborative design and consultation process than traditional survey- or questionnaire-type techniques.
The project has three stages :
- In April 2019, workshops were held in schools and at the Foundation’s training center, the Laâyoune Learning Center. Facilitators trained in Laâyoune supervised the four types of users during indoor workshops. They compiled what users desire as expressed through collage, drawing, and the use of an application.
- In November 2019, facilitator teams will go meet users in public spaces in Laâyoune and Foum El Oued. Digital consultations will be done using a tablet and regular consultations will be held at a mobile stand.
- In December 2019, after these workshops are held, an international conference called “The Urban Thinkers Campus” will be held. The Urban Thinkers Campus model is a UN-Habitat initiative designed as platforms for critical dialog between researchers, professionals, and urban decision-makers. The Urban Thinkers Campus in Laâyoune will see the presence of about forty guests, including international and local partners. The theme will be “Urban consultation methods applicable to developing countries.”
Inspired by the famous phrase in The Little Prince, “draw me a sheep,” the “Dessine-moi une ville” project is much more than a collaborative design platform. It is a call for the social inclusion of all minorities. This mission is led by the Phosboucraa Foundation with the local support of its partners, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training, the National Human Rights Council, and the Moroccan League for the Protection of Children.