Friday ended an international reflection workshop on territorial issues of the Region of Palmes(Southeast) organized by the Association "Les Ateliers Internationaux de Maîtrise d’Oeuvre Urbaine" of Cergy-Pontoise (France) in partnership with the haitian Interdepartmental Committee of spatial planning (CIAT) and the French Development Agency (AFD) in the framework of the integrated development project of informal neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, on the theme "How reconcile metropolitan periphery, coastal urbanity and mountain rurality ?"

For two weeks, specialists from all nationalities and backgrounds discussed around the territorial project of Palmes. Integrating disciplines as diverse as architecture, geography, economics, sociology and the environment, the work they will submit to the outcome of the workshop will be evaluated by a jury composed of Haitian and international personalities.

Exemplary in terms of articulation of rural and urban areas in a context of profound demographic, social and economic changes, the spatial organization of Palmes region reflects all the challenges of the Haitian geography: internal migration, informal urbanization, pressure on farmland, environmental degradation, etc...

Wishing to go beyond the emergency and transitional phases, the Haitian government has developed in 2010 a national strategic vision for development and long term planning. The development of a shared vision of the future of Palmes is thus part of a double agenda, both local and national. And the results of this workshop could have a demonstrative value that exceeds the strict framework of the studied territory.

IH/ iciHaiti