Evaluation Of New Towns In The Context Of A National Human Settlements Strategy For Algeria Arising From A Critical Study Of New Town Developments In Britain, France And Egypt

This thesis evaluates new towns in the context of a National Human Settlements Strategy for Algeria, with special reference to the new provincial capital, Oum El Bouaghi as a case study. It arises from a critical study of new town developments in Britain, France and Egypt. The concepts of ‘social balance’ and ‘’self-containment’ used in British New Towns as Terms of Reference have been adopted as basic criteria for evaluating new towns. The study is made up of two parts, each consisting of three and four Chapters respectively. The first part is made up of the three following Chapters. Chapter I presents the objectives of the study. Chapter II reviews the British, French and Egyptian new towns, and concludes with a comparative review by presenting their similarities and their differences. Chapter III focuses upon national and regional development and considers the new towns idea in Algeria since the French occupation in 1830. In the second part, Chapter IV introduces’ the research methods used for gathering both primary and secondary data. A questionnaire survey was designed to evaluate Oum El Bouaghi new provincial capital in terms of ‘social balance’ and ‘’self-containment’. The development of Oum El Bouaghi has in many cases been based on an existing town like those of the third generation of British new towns (1966 onwards) which were designated to create a focal point for economic growth. This Chapter also reviews the questionnaire, proposes a sample for further research, describes the problems encountered in carrying out a survey in a developing country such as Algeria. Chapter V provides a detailed description of the case study town, Oum El Bouaghi with some criticisms and suggestions based on the lessons learnt from British, French and Egyptian new towns. Chapter VI illustrates the different stages involved in the analysis of both primary and secondary data gathered through the pilot study in the light of the two selected concepts of ‘social balance’ and ‘'self-containment’ with reference to the theoretical writings on British, French and Egyptian new towns. Chapter VII concludes that a literature review has been restricted to areas of comparative studies. It also concludes that the concepts of ‘social balance’ and ‘'self containment’ go hand-in-hand and can be applied in a developing country such as Algeria. However, this study develops a research methodology for a later Ph.D.