Dialogue session on “The General blueprint for the City of Damascus and its Surroundings”

Damascus(ST)-The fifth dialogue session “For Damascus, We Converse” organized by Damascus Governorate on “The General blueprint of Damascus City and its Vital Surroundings” reviewed the previous study of the “Ecoshar” blueprint for the year 1986 and the study of Khatib and Alami Company for the year 2008 and the evaluation of the two previous studies, in Reda Saeed Hall at Damascus University.

The session, in which a number of university professors, specialists, stakeholders, and the local community participated, aims to determine the necessary foundations for preparing a new blueprint for the city of Damascus, ensuring that the blueprint is compatible with current challenges and future needs, enhancing community participation in the planning process, and developing a strategic vision to achieve sustainable development and preserve the identity of Damascus.

The session included several axes,such as  evaluating previous studies, preparing a new study for the blueprint, preserving the historical and cultural character, addressing the reality of violations, and new strategies for planning, management, and implementation, and community involvement and partnership. Each axis was voted on separately, with the participants voting by majority on the necessity of preparing a new study for a blueprint for the city of Damascus due to the expiration of the planning period for previous studies and the impact of social, economic, and demographic changes.

The Governor of Damascus, Engineer Muhammad Tariq Krishati, pointed out that today’s session was in partnership with the University of Damascus and was a more specialized session in which the dialogue focused on the visual identity of the city of Damascus, increasing green spaces, benefiting from human resources, and addressing the reality of violations and the transportation problem, indicating that the aim of the dialogue is to reach a useful result in which we address the existing problems.

The session was attended by the President of Damascus University, Dr. Muhammad Osama Al-Jaban, the Chairman of the Governorate`s Council, Eng. Muhammad Iyad Al-Shamaa, the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Office, Eng. Ali Al-Mobaid, and a number of members of the Executive Office.

Aourwa Deep