ILAPA News BURST! From the Illinois River to the River Nile: Planning in a Different Environment

From the Illinois River to the River Nile: Planning in a Different Environment by Hala A/Rahim Mohd. Ahmed, AICP

	Having spent over six years in various areas of the public sector in Illinois, going back to my home country, Sudan, and working for a developer was an endeavor that I approached with some trepidation of the ‘unknown.’ I was to be a member of the core team in a company undertaking the development of a unique site in Khartoum, the capital city. I was however, much intrigued that the site was at the confluence of the Blue and White Niles where they form the River Nile, the longest river in the world (Almogran Development located at the confluence of the Blue & White Niles forming the River Nile) and a source of great pride for all Sudanese. My new employer, Alsunut Development Company, is one of the first public-private partnerships in construction. The State of Khartoum, represented by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Public Utilities (MPPPU), is contributing land while the DAL Group, a conglomerate of companies that includes franchises for Coca Cola, Caterpillar, John Deere among others, is spearheading the urban design, infrastructure construction and marketing. The project, Almogran (Arabic for confluence) Development, is to implement a mixed use development close to the heart of Khartoum in a beautiful location that has until recently been severely under-utilized as a dumping ground for construction debris. The new development, the “city within a city” aims to house major financial institutions, telecommunications providers, oil companies (Scaled model of the Almogran Development) and other businesses that are looking to locate their regional headquarters in the increasingly growing market in Sudan. Progress of peace agreements along with oil discovery has opened investment and development opportunities that are attracting businesses worldwide. Investors will be buying land parcels along with the required infrastructure. Servicing this area are several 4-5 star hotels, a number of parcels allocated for residential use- apartments and condominiums, as well as a leisure and entertainment district by the White Nile, the more scenic of the 2 rivers. Because the development is (E-W alignment of the skyline) for the ‘New Sudan,’ it will feature state of the art services employing the latest technologies as well as sustainable community planning principles. Underneath the wide sidewalks and shaded colonnades are power cables, telecommunication networks, irrigation pipes and other utilities. Parking is restricted to 2 basement levels for each parcel with more parking available to the south of the development in a Park and Ride facility. A shuttle service provides transportation from this facility to various areas of the development. (N-S alignment of the skyline) The Urban Planning and Design portion of the project culminated in a Development Control Document (DCD) that provides guidelines for each parcel and regulates heights, open space coverage, Gross Floor Area, etc. A Public Development Authority, which will be independently-operated, will oversee the enforcement of the DCD as well as the overall maintenance of the district. This is a new model for MPPPU, which in spite of having good zoning and building codes, suffers from grave deficiencies in enforcement. The Ministry is viewing this project as a pilot that could potentially be replicated in many parts of the country. The project has attracted considerable national and international attention and has been featured in several publications. It represents a big step forward for a country that is finally looking to a brighter future.

	Hala A/Rahim Mohd. Ahmed, AICP Urban Design & Planning Manager Alsunut Development Company, Ltd. hala.ahmed@dalgroup.com