Commercial dynamics and new centralities in an Algerian port city: Skikda

Abstract

The question of redefining urban centralities and the practices of city dwellers is relevant in the context of Algerian and Maghreb cities more widely. In Algeria, numerous publications and theses have shown the emergence of new forms and functions of space, even affecting residential neighborhoods, as a result of the redistribution of oil rents and the rise of the import trade. Based on empirical research in a port city in Algeria, this article examines how the process of commercial expansion affects the system of centrality, as well as the spatial practices and representations of inhabitants. It highlights the strategies of private economic and decision-making actors in this process, as well as the relationship that inhabitants develop with these areas. This research shows that the recent commercial dynamics of initially residential neighborhoods have given rise to new market forms, reorganizing the structure of centrality and renewing the everyday life of the inhabitants.