المكتبة

نبذة عن الكتاب

This paper presents part of an ongoing project of area conservation and community development in the historic district of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar. Besides a brief outline of the project’s scope of intervention in physical and environmental upgrading and socio-economic revitalization, the authors relate their firsthand experience in improving housing quality and provision of affordable housing for the, relatively poor, population of this district. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the learning experience the project went through during the implementation of Phase I of the project; the difficulties, the challenge, and the remedies that contributed to the ongoing development of this program. The initial studies in preparation for the Housing Rehabilitation Program are explained, to show the basis upon which the program was initially designed. This section portrays how users’ perceived value of the area, needs and preferences, were taken into account all along the project, to ensure affordability, cultural appropriateness, and consequently sustainable positive impact of rehabilitation efforts. This is followed by an outline of the tasks, the procedures, and the happenings that occurred during implementation. In conclusion the paper presents the lessons learnt from this experience in the rehabilitation of the older housing stock that represents a valuable resource going to waste