From the 7th till the 10th of May, a team of experts from AMB and Batlle i Roig Architects have visited the city of Saida in order to assess the possibilities of collaboration for the exchange of experiences regarding open and green urban spaces as well as for the identification of a concrete subject to be dealt with in the frame of the technical assessment in the USUDS project.

The delegation involved Mr. Joan Roig and Mr. Guillem Matallanas, from Batlle i Roig Architects, as well as Mr. Oriol Ribera and Mr. Albert Gassull from the Public Space Directorate of the AMB, who were accompanied by a representative of MedCities and USUDS project.

The mission included technical meetings with the Saida USUDS team and the municipal representatives, together with representatives of other stakeholders, such as the Urban Planning Directorate for the South of Lebanon, the Hariri Foundation and the lead consultant on environmental issues for the strategic plan of Saida.

Several site visits were undertaken in order to identify possible opportunities of intervention for the improvement of green and public space in Saida, one of the key issues identified in the diagnosis and the strategic objectives of the city. Finally, the two parts agreed to work together for the definition of a plan of green areas in the longitudinal axes of the city, such as the maritime front and the green corridor next to the railway tracks. The plan will also include some concrete interventions for creating new green areas in these areas.

A second mission is foreseen in the month of Junein order to present the proposed plan and interventions before the city representatives.