This research aims to evaluate the sustainability of urban strategies in Skikda, a prehistoric, ancient, and Mediterranean port city of northeastern Algeria, known as by the Punic name Russicade. The port city of Skikda shows a diverse landscape of heritage sites and the industrial reality of a city, rich by its under-exploited cultural and tourist capacities. Nevertheless, the industrial port activities of the petrochemical refinery impose a state of urban vulnerability for the inhabitants and built, landscape, and natural heritage. The use of the open software Boussole21 of the "Smart" trend as a qualitative method allows assessment of decisions by the actors. The sustainability assessment (findings) shows that smart thinking contributes to the development of port performance and competitiveness in the international context.

This article traces the centuries-long morphological development of Algiers’ port-city interface across four historically relevant time periods that together span from the dawn of the 16th century up until today. Through a diachronic and geo-historical approach, we identify and analyse the origins of Algiers’ persistent port-city divide. In doing so, the notion of the interface is interpreted as a spatial threshold between city and port, which nevertheless supports the material flows of both entities. As a multi-purpose area, the interface holds the potential to weave the disparate entities of a port city back together. To further complement this conceptual angle, we provide investigations of porosity that determine the differing degrees of connectivity between the city and port of Algiers. This is combined with a spatial-functional analysis of Algiers’ current port-city interface, which is ultimately characterised as a non-homogeneous entity composed of four distinct sequences. These results contribute to a better orientation of imminent plans for waterfront revitalisations in Algiers. Whereas the interface was long considered as some kind of no man’s land in the past, port and municipal authorities nowadays aim to turn the interface into a tool of reconciliation, and can do so by acting upon its potential porosity. Finally, this article’s critical examination of the previously neglected case of Algiers can and should also be considered as an applicable model for the continuing study of southern Mediterranean and African port metropolises in general, which share a particular evolution in the relations between city and port.

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Abstract:The greater part of urban heritage, especially of the medium and small Algerian cities, is subject to a major seismic risk. The probability of a happening earthquake is strong, and the territories vulnerability is great. Legislative procedures are implemented to support urban heritage and managing natural disasters. In fact, the PPSMVSS (permanent plan of safeguard and enhancement of saved sectors) as an instrument of protection, preservation and enhancement of this heritage, in its content, does not guide decision makers on how to manage the vulnerability of preserved areas from the earthquake. After the disaster of the earthquake that hit the Algerian Centre (wilaya of Boumerdes) in 2003. A legislative framework was created while other texts have been adapted. Emergency measures operations are launched to preserve the under threat monuments and protected areas. Saved sectors of Dellys, in the wilaya of Boumerdes and Ténès in the wilaya of Chlef, are all the time subjected to seismic risk. This article presents a comparative study of two PPSMVSS, Dellys and Ténès, and the management of the vulnerability of their two safeguarded areas. As a result of this study, some indicators were identified to allow the development of plans for the protection and management natural risks of these protected areas.

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