Zenata

Mohammed Afakhri,
Director of Realizations – Société d’Aménagement de Zenata, a subsidiary of CDG.

The eco-city of Zenata also borders the sea. But this time it is the Atlantic. In February 2006, the Moroccan State mandated the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) to develop this 1,830 hectare site, located on the northern outskirts of Casablanca. The eco-city benefits from a 5.35 km seafront, the proximity of a motorway, an airport, a port, a railway line. Initially, Zenata gathered slums and agricultural land.

“Zenata will eventually house 300,000 inhabitants, 100,000 people will work there.”

“First, we built houses to relocate 9,000 households in 4,000 lots, about 30 public facilities and green spaces. We want to keep the few industries present on site, which is why we have created a 70 hectare industrial zone, 70% of the lots are already delivered”.

The project also includes the construction of a dry port, a logistics area, housing, a shopping centre and two others dedicated to health and education.

“We take into account the prevailing winds in the layout of the buildings to avoid heat islands,” says Mohammed Afakhri.

“Zenata will benefit from a green frame. For travel, we take inspiration from the medinas, integrating tramways and cycle paths. Each living unit will have about 16,000 inhabitants and will have a square surrounded by public services: schools, places of worship… ».

AFD, the EIB and the European Union are participating in the financing.

Each cluster (logistics, sales, health and education) is managed by an operator partner of the Zenata development company. “We took the time (9 years) to think about the project as a whole before starting the work,” says Mohammed Afakhri.

“An urban project is not a work in progress, but a lot of studies, reflection, consultation, to imagine solutions in terms of transport, sanitation, waste management and rainfall…. Only then can we arrive at a master plan”.