Development Against Sustainability? Marrakech as a Case Study

Due to a fast-growing economy, Morocco is facing several issues concerning a local way to a global modernization. The Islamic society is slowly changing towards new forms of rules to achieve a balance between traditional values and new emergent needs. While the vast rural world keeps a stronger resistance to mutations, cities are laboratories for innovation. In terms of spaces, among the famous imperial cities, Marrakech is the one in which the phenomena are more acute and accelerated. The ancient heart of the medina is the great object of external pressures for new touristic uses and consequent gentrification, while the colonial modern parts of the city are progressively replaced and new urban expansions are looking for a development model. Starting from this point of view, the essay describes and interprets the main dynamics in place and attempts to indicate the contradictions and critical aspects that will be the most difficult challenge for Moroccan cities in the next few years: Is there a local way to modernize in a global world? Which tools and strategies for a sustainable development?