Abstract
The populations of the Middle East and Africa are increasing rapidly, contributing to rapid urban growth. This paper describes a two-year action research process involving diverse public, private, and community stakeholders. The actions aimed to develop and strengthen the capabilities of three Mediterranean cities (Marrakech, Morocco; Sin el Fil, Lebanon; and Bodrum, Turkey) in managing and promoting local sustainable development. The needs and priorities of each Mediterranean partner were identified and pilot actions were elaborated to promote urban sustainability, the exploitation of local resources, and the enhancement of local tangible and intangible assets. The paper describes the outputs of pilot actions carried out in these cities, highlighting how these experiences contribute to the current debate on urban sustainability. Broad implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Highlights
The Mediterranean is the largest European sea, shared by 460 million people living in 22 countries and territories and visited by an additional 275 million people annually
The Mediterranean Basin has undergone dramatic alterations due to rapid changes in demographic trends, with currently prevailing socioeconomic conditions favoring greater consumption of natural resources, and due to new technologies, including those related to transportation, in its coastal regions [3]
The need to change unsustainable production and consumption patterns to allow for sustainable protection and management of natural resources, the safeguarding of health, and integration of the objective of sustainable development more effectively into the process of globalization has been recognized [9,10]
Summary
The Mediterranean is the largest European sea, shared by 460 million people living in 22 countries and territories and visited by an additional 275 million people annually. Sustainable development is a global objective for Mediterranean countries [2]. The Mediterranean Basin has undergone dramatic alterations due to rapid changes in demographic trends, with currently prevailing socioeconomic conditions favoring greater consumption of natural resources, and due to new technologies, including those related to transportation (e.g., new roads, ship types, and harbors), in its coastal regions [3]. The need to change unsustainable production and consumption patterns to allow for sustainable protection and management of natural resources, the safeguarding of health, and integration of the objective of sustainable development more effectively into the process of globalization has been recognized [9,10]
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