Lessons from Tradition in the Building of Contemporary Settlements: The Case of Tafilalt in the M'zab Valley, Algeria

Abstract Since Algeria’s independence from France in 1962, the M’zab Valley in the northern Sahara has witnessed a rapid growth in population. Both legal and illegal housing has been built outside the walls of the M’zab’s ancient towns, damaging the environmental and cultural heritage of the area. In response, its long-standing residents have identified protocols for building a number of carefully planned settlements inspired by the original towns. One of these new settlements is Tafilalt, begun in 1997. Based in part on in-depth interviews with residents and the developers of the project, this article studies the construction of Tafilalt by its occupants and their perceptions of their new home. It asks how the M’zab’s traditional methods of planning, building and managing settlements have been adapted to the community’s current needs, who makes up the community, and to what extent Tafilalt might be seen as a model to be used elsewhere.