Monographie historique et economique d'une capitale coloniale : rabat de 1912 a 1939
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Abstract EN:
The evolution of rabat, wich became the capital of morocco after the establishment of the french protectorate, is significant of the impact of a colonial domination. Because it benefited by its central position and natural advantages, thte estuary of the bou-regreg had been enhanced by three settlements : sale, chellah and the oudaias "rabat", which are the origine of present day rabat city. Recalling their historical vicissitudes emphasizes the stratgic interest this site represented for the great dynasties who left their architectural prints on the landscape. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the structure of rabat as a "makhzen" town was already transformed by the foreign interferences leading to the settling of france in 1912. The colonization requirements made the nation's space open to other countries and they determined the urban policy decided by general lyautey and implemented by h. Prost. The sweeping changes affecting the demographic, economic and institutional structures of the capital where expressed by the very evolution of the urban frame. The initial vigorous prosperity was expressed by the harmonious development of the new town, the centre of modern activities next to the preserved medina. But land speculation and the blanks left in the prost plans concerning the housing of moroccan natives destroyed that bright surface ; their consequences became worse during the crisis of the thirties because of the hypertrophy of the urban sector and the development of shantytowns which were the shelter of country immigrants. Before the second world war, in spite of the modernization programme implemented by general nogues, rabat, generally put forward as being the expression of a successful colonial town-planning was, in fact, concealing a socio-spatial segregation which reflected the discrepancies between the various communities. The analysis of its growth allows us to stress the links between these contrasts and the underdevelopment characterizing the moroccan economy when dominated by colonization.
Abstract FR:
L'evolution de rabat, promue au rang de capitale apres l'instauration du protectorat francais au maroc, est significative de l' impact d'une domination coloniale. Beneficiant d'une position centrale et d'avantages naturels, l'estuaire du bou-regreg avait ete valorise par trois etablissements humains : sale, chellah et le "ribat" des oudaias, origine de la ville actuelle de rabat. Le rappel de leurs vicissitudes historiques souligne l'interet strategique du site pour les grandes dynasties dont l'empreinte architecturale marque encore le paysage. A l'aube du 20e siecle, l'organisation de rabat, ville "makhzen" est deja alteree par les ingerences etrangeres qui conduisent a l'installation de la france en 1912. Les besoins de la colonisation renforcent la division extravertie de l'espace national et conditionnent la politique urbaine imposee par le general lyautey et realisee par h. Prost. Les mutations radicales des structures demographiques, economiques et institutionnelles de la capitale se projettent dans les transformations du cadre urbain lui-meme. La prosperite euphorique initiale se manifeste par l'extension harmonieuse de la ville nouvelle ; siege des activites modernes, a cote de la medina preservee. Mais la speculation fonciere et les lacunes du plan prost pour l'habitat marocain, grevent deja cette facade brillante ; leurs repercussions s' aggravent lors de la crise des annees trente, avec l'hypertrophie de la surface urbaine et le developpement des bidonvilles, refuge des immigrants ruraux. Malgre le programme d'amelioration dont elle beneficiegrace au general nogues, rabat presentee comme une des reussites de l'urbanisme colonial, masque avant la seconde guerre mondiale, une segregation socio-spatiale, reflet des disparites entre les differentes communautes. L'analyse de sa croissance permet ainsi de mettre en evidence les rapports entre ces contrastes et le sous-developpement dans lequel est engagee l'economie marocaine sous l'effet de la domination coloniale.