Aziza Chaouni: How I brought a river, and my city, back to life
Aziza Chaouni: Hoe ik een rivier en mijn stad weer tot leven heb gebracht
Aziza Chaouni focuses on projects that integrate architecture and landscape, and that ultimately give back to their communities. For years, she has worked to revive the Fez River, which runs through her hometown of Fez, Morocco. Full bio
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anders ben gaan zien en uitoefenen:
medieval cities in the world,
middeleeuwse steden ter wereld,
ligt in een riviervallei.
werelderfgoedlijst.
population of the medina grew,
in de medina sinds de jaren 50
en de riolering,
komen te staan.
the medina in its middle
in het midden in tweeën snijdt.
beschouwd als de ware ziel van de stad.
openbare fonteinen staan.
gaandeweg is bedekt
is gepaard gegaan
dat voertuigen
in de medina konden binnenrijden.
de lege plekken in de stad
is de rivier eigenlijk best gezond.
van bij voorbeeld leerlooierijen.
de Fez niet langer verdragen.
van mijn stad.
om het rioolwater om te leiden
om de rivier bloot te leggen.
wat druk hebben uitgeoefend,
work with a team of engineers
met een team ingenieurs
in openbare wandelpaden,
van de lege plekken langs de oevers
centrum voor voertuigen.
van de medina,
van voetpaden ter wereld heeft.
bridge that you can see here,
die je hier kunt zien,
te maken,
op te zetten,
langs de rivieroevers.
een illegale parkeerplaats.
autobanden aangelegd
een kunstmatig wetland,
received several design awards,
het ontwerp werd bekroond,
belanghebbenden mee.
en het ontwerp van het project.
van het project konden realiseren,
en het idee dat wij de leiding hadden
op onze rol als activisten.
belanghebbenden samenvoegen
het project concentreren:
het rivierwater zuiveren
voor iedereen creëren.
door de plaatselijke bevolking.
als vuilnisbelt werd gebruikt.
en is het water schoon.
van de stad.
architecten anders in te vullen
het kernidee van het project:
of the project into motion;
van open riool
dat de stad Fez
een leefbare stad zal blijven
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aziza Chaouni - Architect + ecotourism specialistAziza Chaouni focuses on projects that integrate architecture and landscape, and that ultimately give back to their communities. For years, she has worked to revive the Fez River, which runs through her hometown of Fez, Morocco.
Why you should listen
Civil engineer and architect Aziza Chaouni creates sustainable, built environments in the developing world, focusing on the deserts of the Middle East. Chaouni’s design philosophy holds that it is not enough for sustainable buildings to have zero impact—they must give back to the community on social, economic, infrastructural and environmental levels too. The founding principal of Aziza Chaouni Projects, she collaborates closely with local communities and experts from other disciplines to integrate architecture, landscape and infrastructure in innovative ways.
Born and raised in Fez, Morocco, Chaouni has long found herself fascinated with the Fez River, which winds through the city's ancient Medina. Once considered the city's soul, sending water to both public and private fountains, in the 1950s, the stream started to become a toxic sewer because of overcrowding, over-development and pollution. The city responded by covering the river over with concrete slabs, bit by bit, in the process destroying houses and creating dumping grounds. When Fez received a grant to divert and clean the river's water, Chaouni proposed the Fez River Project to uncover the river, restore its riverbanks and create pedestrian pathways. Her vision: to reclaim these areas as public spaces and reconnect them to the rest of the city.
A project that Chaouni has been working on for two decades, her mission to transform the Fez River began with her thesis in graduate school and has continued throughout her career. Over the course of years, the river is gradually being uncovered—illegal parking lots are being transformed into playgrounds, trees and vegetation are being planted to create public spaces. Overall, the project is revitalizing Fez as a living city.
Aziza Chaouni | Speaker | TED.com