Smart Cities and Sustainable Urban Development in Morocco

Abstract

In a rapidly changing socio-economic context, urban planning faces several challenges. In fact, population growth, the accentuation of urban issues and the massive use of mobile communication technologies have presented the smart city as a relevant and innovative solution to these various contemporary challenges. At this stage, the opportunities mobilized by Big Data and communication technologies have reiterated the attention on the notion of smart cities. However, how can contemporary urban life be planned in order to determine the conditions for success and the trajectory of a smart city in Morocco? By crossing the reality of urban planning, the state of Moroccan cities with the different trajectories to be taken to support the emergence of smart cities in Morocco, this work seeks to explore the likely interactions between smart planning and the process of implementing a smart city. In addition, it also attempts to retrace the state of urban planning in Morocco. In this paper we will provide a series of concrete recommendations, ready to rectify any widespread deficiencies rooted in the current urban planning framework. Finally, we aim to propose some measures to be taken to ensure the redress of the excesses of the current planning system.