Public Action and Metropolitan Project through the Prism of Spatial Planning Policy in Morocco

Résumé

Abstract 

Morocco has experienced significant urban transformations over the past three decades, with major cities evolving toward metropolitan configurations despite the absence of a formal metropolitan governance framework. This research investigates how territorial dynamics driven by the Moroccan state reflect an emerging metropolitan project, with particular focus on Rabat as a case study. Through analysis of planning documents, institutional arrangements, and urban projects, this study examines the gap between de facto metropolization processes and their institutional recognition. Findings reveal that while economic and spatial metropolization dynamics are evident in Morocco's major urban centers, the lack of adapted governance structures and legal frameworks hinders coordinated metropolitan development. The research proposes governance mechanisms and planning paradigms that could support sustainable metropolitan development in Morocco. Our analysis ultimately demonstrates that Morocco's experience represents a distinctive case of "metropolization without metropolitan governance", reflecting tensions between global economic integration, centralized state planning, and fragmented local governance. The implementation of incremental governance reforms, beginning with sector-specific coordination mechanisms before potentially evolving toward comprehensive metropolitan authorities, offers pragmatic pathways toward addressing these governance gaps while respecting Morocco's specific institutional context. This work contributes to understanding metropolization processes in North African contexts where centralized governance models interact with global economic forces and local territorial specificities.

Keywords : Public actions, Metropolitan projects, governance models, territorial dynamics