10.6092/issn.1973-9494/9947
La conservazione delle città storiche è limitata, in molti Paesi, alla valorizzazione e alla salvaguardia che viene eseguita utilizzando diversi tipi di interventi. Molti Paesi, consapevoli dell'importanza del loro patrimonio nello sviluppo della vita umana, sono attualmente interessati al ruolo partecipativo dei loro abitanti nella conservazione. Le città storiche in Algeria non sono immuni da questo fatto.Oggigiorno, particolare attenzione è rivolta alla qualità della vita nelle città storiche algerine che sono in continua trasformazione. Analizzare lo stato di queste città storiche è diventato un problema urgente. Lo scopo di questo articolo è di progettare una metodologia di analisi di abitabilità al fine di interpretare la qualità della vita e comprendere gli standard di vivibilità ideale.La metodologia adottata è divisa in due parti: la griglia e la sua proiezione e analisi. L'applicazione della griglia richiede dati molto diversi e un settore di studio. A tal fine, sono stati utilizzati diversi strumenti: un questionario, misurazioni sul campo e analisi diretta. Per il positivo risultato della ricerca è essenziale il lavoro sul campo: il caso studio presentato é relativo alla città di Mostaganem.
application/pdf
1973-9494
9947
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Emmanuel Ammougou Mballa
Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
medinal heritage
Towards an Analytical Habitability Grid for Heritage: the Medina of Mostaganem as a Case Study
Text.Serial.Journal
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/
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Articles
2020-03-18
2019-10-25
2020-03-18
2020-03-18
81-98
CSCH
Emmanuel Ammougou Mballa
2019
10.6092/issn.1973-9494/9947
81
National School of Architecture La Villette, Paris
1973-9494
medinal heritage
en
98
Towards an Analytical Habitability Grid for Heritage: the Medina of Mostaganem as a Case Study
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/download/9947/9703
19
T      WARDS AN ANALYTICAL HABITABILITY GRID
      O
      FOR HERITAGE: THE MEDINA OF MOSTAGANEM
      AS A CASE STUDY

    Fatima Bouzid*, Malika Kacemi Maghfour 1
    Department of Architecture
    University of Science and Technology of Oran Mohamed Boudiaf
    USTO-MB, Oran, Algeria

    Emmanuel Ammougou Mballa
    National School of Architecture La Villette, Paris, France




    Keywords: criteria, grid, habitability, medinal heritage


    1. Introduction

    The historic city teaches man1 to live in the space he inhabits, not just to see
it; it provides him with the experience of living in ancient houses and of living with
historical monuments. It also offers him the ambiance of halkats2, grandmothers’
accounts of their experiences, cries, smells, etc.; in other words, it is sending peo-
ple back to the distant and the near past with all the emotions, representations
and practices they have experienced within the space of the historic city. These
experiences will serve as a conductive thread in the present research that leads to
thinking about the habitability of space and to better contextualize the experience
of the places to those who live there.
    In this research, the historic city is used to designate Al madina, a term that de-
scribes, particularly in the Maghreb, the oldest part of major Islamic Arab-Berber
cities. An urban universe that goes on evolving according to a model embodying
a cultural diversity ‘each city has its particular architecture which depends on the
knowledge and skills of its inhabitants, of their fortune and the climate. All this differs
from city to city’ [1]. The goal is to design a habitability grid in order to examine the
relationship between man and space. Nowadays, several discourses question the
future of historic cities. The issues discussed in this research are structured around
the following question: will the medina remain inhabited?
    To examine these issues a methodology was adopted as part of an experimental
strategy to assess habitability in the medinal space. It relies on the building of the grid
and its projection.


*   Corresponding author: fatima.bouzid@univ-usto.dz
                                                                                                   2. Habitability

                                                                                                    Man exists by inhabiting space; by inhabiting space it is possible for him to exist. He
                                                                                                inhabits the city, the streets, the communal areas (squares, gardens, public spaces)
                                                                                                and lives with the monuments that stand therein, as well as in the houses. All these
                                                                                                places have their own identity, memory and signification. According to Norberg-Schulz
                                                                                                C. ‘man lives when he succeeds in orienting himself in his environment and identify-
                                                                                                ing with himself when he experiences the meaning of an environment’ [2]. According
                                                                                                to Heidegger M. to live means ‘to be present in the world together with others’ [3], the
                                                                                                concept of habitability of space is based on this basic definition.
                                                                                                    Habitability is essentially interpreted as the quality of life; it is therefore qualified as
                                                                                                the product of the interaction between man / livable spaces: in another sense it is about
F. Bouzid, M.K. Maghfour , E.A. Mballa - Towards an analytical habitability grid for heritage




                                                                                                a reading of the human experience, which is defined by the personal, family and social
                                                                                                life of the individual within his home.
                                                                                                    The diagram below is a synthesis of the relationship between man and his livable
                                                                                                space (Figure 1).




                                                                                                Figure 1. Synthesis of the relationship of man with his livable space (Source: authors 2018).



                                                                                                   3. Elaboration of the analytical habitability grid of medinal heritage

                                                                                                   Several authors have developed grid analysis methods based on the observation
                                                                                                of spatial interactions. The grid is generally composed of criteria and each criterion is
                                                                                                divided into several levels.
                                                                                                   The approaches used in studying habitability involve many disciplines, such as
                                                                                                urban habitability [4], landscape [5], territory [6], geography and the countryside [7].
                                                                                                Many scholars such as Newman, Young et al. have affiliated the idea of urban livability
                                                                                                with the concept of sustainability [8, 9]. However, few studies have focused on observ-
                                                                                                ing the different ways of living in ancient fabrics [10, 11, 12], despite the historic city
                                                                                                representing one of the striking elements in the landscape of the inhabitants and which
                                                                                                today represent forms that differ from those of the era of their constitution and founda-
                                                                                                tion, spatially, visually, symbolically and materially.


                                                                                           82
   3.1. Construction of the theoretical framework

   The term habitability appears for the first time under the pen of Louis-Sébastien
Mercier in 1801 when he wrote, ‘… the universe’s ability to be filled with celestial
bodies. This term will favor all beautiful cosmological dreams. In the time of bloody
proscriptions, happy are those who had the courage to believe in the habitability of the
forests or that of the caves!’ [13].
   The notion has grown since the nineteenth century. The actual meaning of habit-
ability was taken from its derivatives habitable, inhabit, inhabitation and habitat. Ety-
mologically, it is derived from the word ‘habitable’, which comes via old French from
the Latin habitabilis [14] and designates the quality of a space to be occupied. Defined
legally, in relation to certain sustainability requirements, to be habitable is to be viable3.
   In another body of literature, the term livable cities appeared in popular literature
during the1980s in connection with growing environmental concerns and increasing
competition among world cities to attract foreign investments and boost their econo-
mies [15]. Livability is known both as a holistic concept [16] and as a human concept
[17] and has been described as the qualities that a place offers for the life of the
inhabitants, such as dimension, light, insulation and hygiene.
   According to Blanc Nathalie, a habitable place is a place that offers sufficient op-
portunities for creation and adaptation for individuals to appropriate it. The appropria-
tion of a place and its transformation in a living environment are based on a detailed
knowledge of the living conditions offered in this location [4].
   The human, social and political sciences as well as philosophy have shown for
a long time that the expression’ living space’ contains much more meaning than
the relationship between man and his house, his shelter, his roof, his vehicle [6]. It
concerns a set of everyday practices named, according to De Certeau [18] ‘arts of
making’, these arts enable users to act, otherwise, ‘they tinker, in all senses of the
word, to fight against what is unhabitable’ [6]. In exploring literature, three criteria of




                                                                                                          CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
habitability have been distinguished, according to P. Devaux: the body dimension,
the social dimension and the temporal dimension [19]. These criteria come from an
anthropological reflection, presented as dimensions of the human being and then as
dimensions of habitability.


   3.2. Grid design

   In order to operationalize the conceptual framework and build the habitability analy-
sis grid, it is important to identify the variables, sub-variables and indicators of the
habitability criteria as well as to keep in mind that the goal is to design a habitability grid
in order to examine the relationship man-space.
   In the first place, it is essential to identify the criteria. Based on several references
that deal with the concept of habitability, three criteria were drawn up.
   The first criterion that comes from the basic definition of livability is the quality of place.
   The second criterion of habitability is the evaluation of place [20-22]. The habit-
ability of a place is the evaluation of a place depending on whether it is lived in as
livable or not, binding or offering many possibilities, freedom of development and
this in relation to our expectations, our needs, our ideal home. Otherwise called
‘arts of making’.


                                                                                                     83
                                                                                                    The third is appropriation, according to Blanc N. and Fischer G.N. [20], seen as a
                                                                                                consequence of the cognitive evaluation of habitability which reveals adaptation and
                                                                                                adjustment, the two mechanisms of appropriation.
                                                                                                    The present research aims to evaluate the interior livability of the medina, in other
                                                                                                words, how the traditional house is inhabited and whether it will continue to be. In the
                                                                                                discourses of the inhabitants, the appropriation of place is a highlight of their feelings
                                                                                                of security, intimacy and practices in daily life. The latter is made up of an infinity of
                                                                                                localized interactions in time and space; the evaluation of these interactions is trans-
                                                                                                lated by the evaluation of the following variables and sub-variables which have been
                                                                                                inferred from several definitions of habitability.
                                                                                                    The variables for the criterion quality of place are:
                                                                                                    • Dimension includes sub-variables: surface and form.
F. Bouzid, M.K. Maghfour , E.A. Mballa - Towards an analytical habitability grid for heritage




                                                                                                    • Comfort includes sub-variables: lighting, isolation and aeration.
                                                                                                    • Hygiene includes the sub-variables: sanitation and household waste.
                                                                                                    • Technology.
                                                                                                    The variables for the criterion evaluation of place ‘arts of making’ are:
                                                                                                    • Liberty of planning includes sub-variables: versatility of space, integration of na-
                                                                                                ture and modularity of space.
                                                                                                    • Needs include sub-variables: adding parts (place / room), adding amenities and
                                                                                                integrated activities.
                                                                                                    • At home includes sub-variables: satisfaction and belonging to the place.
                                                                                                    The variables for the criterion appropriation of place are:
                                                                                                    • Transformations includes sub-variables: plan modifications, facade and structure.
                                                                                                    • Heritage [27] includes sub-variables: historical dimension and cultural dimension.
                                                                                                    • Identification [27] includes sub-variables: marking space and representations.
                                                                                                    The meta-concept habitability does not have specific indicators, as they are syn-
                                                                                                thesized to evaluate sub-variables. It is essential to specify them for a correct pro-
                                                                                                gress of the analysis. The most used and general indicator in this evaluation is the
                                                                                                ‘Vl.L.M.H.Vh’, this abbreviation expresses a qualitative indicator presented in the form
                                                                                                of 5 degrees: very low (weak), low, medium, high, very high.
                                                                                                    It is important to specify the other indicators that are forged for the evaluation of
                                                                                                specific variables, the table below represents the indicators with the sub-variables to
                                                                                                be evaluated (Table 1).




                                                                                           84
Table1. Indicators with sub-variables to be evaluated. (Source: authors 2018)
 Abbreviation                       Indicator                       Sub-variables to be
                                                                        evaluated
Hm.Mm.U            Highly Modified / Moderately Modified / Form
                   Unmodified
Ta.Ma.I            Too much addition / Medium addition /         Surface
                   Initial
S.Ns               Supported / Not Supported                     Sanitation and household
                                                                 waste
U.N.C.             Useless / Necessary / Complementary           Adding parts
0.2 +3             0/ 2/ more than 3                             Adding amenities and
                                                                 integrated activities
Ls.As.H.s          Low Satisfaction / Medium Satisfaction        Satisfaction
                   / High Satisfaction
Lb.Mb.Hb           Low belonging / Medium belonging /            Belonging to the place
                   High belonging
-. ±. +            Negative / More or less / Positive            Plan modification /Facade
                                                                 /Structure


   The diagram of the habitability analysis grid
   The diagram in Figure 2 explains the organization of the conceptual framework of
the habitability analysis grid. It is structured around 3 criteria, 10 variables and 23 sub-
variables, as well as indicators relating to each sub-variable.




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
   4. Projection and analysis

   The purpose is to highlight the criteria of habitability resulting from different scenar-
ios, then to identify the variables and sub-variables for each criterion. By articulating
the sub-variables, several indicators result. They compare research with the use of a
barometer, a tool to measure and combine indicators. It is inspired by the barometer
of sustainability [23].
   Each sub-variable must be evaluated by its own indicator, this assessment is made
by using a field diagnosis and a questionnaire survey. The results of the evaluation are
presented by graphs and each graph is represented globally by a value expressed on
a scale ranging from unhabitable to habitable, that is, a value from 0/10 to 10/10. The
table below shows the weight of each indicator.




                                                                                               85
     F. Bouzid, M.K. Maghfour , E.A. Mballa - Towards an analytical habitability grid for heritage




86
                         Figure 2. Overall diagram of the habitability analysis grid (Source: authors 2018)
Table 2. Barometer of habitability (Source: authors 2018)
 Indicators / degrees of livability habitability    Qualitative indicators
 0-2: unhabitable                                   Highly modified – too much addition –
                                                    very weak – zero (0) – negative (-).
 2-4: almost uninhabitable                          Low – unsupported – useless – low
                                                    satisfaction – low affiliation.
 4-6: medium                                        Moderately modified – medium
                                                    addition – medium – needed – two
                                                    (2) – medium satisfaction – average
                                                    membership – more or less (±).
 6-8: almost habitable                              High – supported – complementary.

 8-10: habitable                                    Unmodified – initial – very high – more
                                                    than three (+3) – high satisfaction –
                                                    high membership – positive (+).


   4.1. Space frame of study

    Located in western Algeria, the city of Mostaganem spreads over a coastal band
of about 124 km. It lies at a distance of approximately 365 Km from the capital Algiers
and is limited to the North by the Mediterranean Sea, to the west by the wilayas (from
the Arab term province) of Oran and Mascara, to the east by the wilaya of Chleff and
Relizane (Figure 3).
    Known as Misk al ghaneim4 in the imagination of its inhabitants, Mostaganem was
in antiquity an aggregation of villages named Muristaga, whose traces are found less
in the ruins that cover the surrounding area of the current city than in their location on




                                                                                                   CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
the flanks of a ravine that runs through the Wadi Ain-Safra.
    Founded by Hamid el Abed in the M’hal period, it had a population of around 12000
inhabitants5 occupying 2263 housing units6 on an area of 21.32 hectares7. It was com-
posed of two distinct zones separated by the ravine Ain-Safra: Derb, Tobana, Metmore
and Tigditt “twin city rather than single city of Mostaganem” [24].




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F. Bouzid, M.K. Maghfour , E.A. Mballa - Towards an analytical habitability grid for heritage




                                                                                                     Figure 3. Location of the study site Mostaganem medina (source: Google earth 2018)



                                                                                                  4.2. Implementing the grid

                                                                                                   In order to operationalize the conceptual framework, it is important to identify the
                                                                                                tools and techniques used for investigation. Firstly, we collected a huge amount of
                                                                                                data in order to study the ‘medina of Mostaganem’. To proceed methodically in our
                                                                                                research and find the necessary information, a great deal of fieldwork was required.
                                                                                                This, namely, involved a direct diagnosis and a questionnaire survey of the inhabitants.
                                                                                                   The direct diagnosis was made using a building sheet, presented in the form of a
                                                                                                four-part memorandum. The aim of the first part was to establish the general profile
                                                                                                of the house, the second to represent the layout plan as well as some interior and
                                                                                                exterior views. The third part was devoted to a description of the house, its general
                                                                                                condition and to a specification of the activities and amenities therein. The fourth
                                                                                                part was designed to obtain information on any modifications and/or transformations
                                                                                                made in the house.
                                                                                                   The questionnaire for the survey is an important step; its main advantage being
                                                                                                that it allows access to data of very diverse nature. Its role is essential in understand-

                                                                                           88
ing the behavior of the occupants and their attitudes and perceptions. Other data
required for the purpose of our research are mainly based on the observation of
existing interactions between the inhabitant and the inhabited space as well as the
history of the place.
   After collecting the necessary data, the analysis of each sub-variable was under-
taken, for example, the analysis of the natural lighting in the houses which were vis-
ited. The results are shown on the graph in Figure 4. According to the field survey
and directive diagnosis, 15% of the inhabited houses have a very low level of natural
lighting, 7% low, 11% medium, 48% high and 19% very high. The highest indicator was
selected and measured according to the habitability barometer.




                                                                                                       CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
                       Figure 4. Natural lighting (Source: authors 2018)



   By applying the habitability analysis grid, and after measuring the weight of each
indicator selected for each sub-variable, the results obtained are shown in Table 2.


   5. Results

    The compiled results are presented primarily as a graph for easy reading. The de-
scription of the data led to an interpretation of the results. This was based on the
search for relations between man and space in the traditional house according to the
different sub-variables.
    Figure 5 shows the habitability of the medina of Mostaganem. The results are for
the 22 sub-variables. The sub-variable Ih.5 could not be evaluated due to lack of data.
    Figure 6 illustrates the profile of the medina of Mostaganem taking into considera-
tion the 10 variables of habitability and compares it to medium habitability. It can be
observed that there is a desire to move towards an ideal type of habitability by improv-
ing the quality of life. Figure 7 below illustrates the overlapping criteria of habitability of
the medina of Mostaganem and those of ideal habitability.

                                                                                                  89
                                                                                                Table 2. The habitability analysis grid with a real evaluation of the case of the medina of
                                                                                                Mostaganem (Source: authors 2018) – (Ih. = Interior habitability)

                                                                                                Criteria           Sub-variable        N°      Indicator   Weight of Source of measurement
                                                                                                                                                           habitability
                                                                                                Criterion 1:       Variable 1: Dimension
                                                                                                Quality of place
                                                                                                                   Surface             Ih. 1   Ma.         5         On-site investigation +
                                                                                                                                                                     diagnostics
                                                                                                                   Form                Ih. 2   Hm.         5         On-site investigation +
                                                                                                                                                                     diagnostics
                                                                                                                   Variable 2: Comfort
F. Bouzid, M.K. Maghfour , E.A. Mballa - Towards an analytical habitability grid for heritage




                                                                                                                   Natural lighting    Ih. 3   H.          6         On-site investigation +
                                                                                                                                                                     diagnostics
                                                                                                                   Natural             Ih. 4   H.          7         On-site investigation +
                                                                                                                   ventilation                                       diagnostics
                                                                                                                   Natural acoustic    Ih. 5   x           x         Absence of data
                                                                                                                   insulation
                                                                                                                   Variable 3: Hygiene
                                                                                                                   Sanitation          Ih. 6   S.          5         On-site investigation +
                                                                                                                                                                     diagnostics
                                                                                                                   Household waste Ih. 7       Ns.         1         On-site investigation +
                                                                                                                                                                     diagnostics
                                                                                                                   Variable 4: Technology
                                                                                                                   Technology          Ih. 8   Vl.         1         Questionnaire survey
                                                                                                Criterion 2:       Variable 1: Liberty of planning
                                                                                                Evaluation of
                                                                                                                   Versatility of      Ih. 9   M.          5         On-site investigation
                                                                                                place ‘arts of
                                                                                                                   space                                             + diagnostics +
                                                                                                making’
                                                                                                                                                                     Questionnaire survey
                                                                                                                   Integration of      Ih. 10 Vh.          8         On-site investigation
                                                                                                                   nature                                            + diagnostics +
                                                                                                                                                                     Questionnaire survey
                                                                                                                   Modularity of       Ih. 11 F.           3         On-site investigation +
                                                                                                                   space                                             diagnostics
                                                                                                                   Variable 2: Needs
                                                                                                                   Adding parts        Ih. 12 N.           6         On-site investigation +
                                                                                                                                                                     diagnostics
                                                                                                                   Adding amenities Ih. 13 M.              4         On-site investigation
                                                                                                                                                                     + diagnostics +
                                                                                                                                                                     Questionnaire survey
                                                                                                                   Integrated          Ih. 14 L.           3         On-site investigation
                                                                                                                   activities                                        + diagnostics +
                                                                                                                                                                     Questionnaire survey
                                                                                                                   Variable 3: At home
                                                                                                                   Satisfaction        Ih. 15 L.           4         Questionnaire survey
                                                                                                                   Belonging           Ih. 16 Vh.          8         Questionnaire survey




                                                                                           90
Criterion 3:        Variable 1: Transformations
Appropriation
                    Plan modification Ih. 17 ±              5            On-site investigation +
of place
                                                                         diagnostics
(appropriation
                                                                         + Questionnaire survey
of the medinal
houses)             Façade              Ih. 18 -            2            On-site investigation +
                    modification                                         diagnostics
                                                                         + Questionnaire survey
                    Structure           Ih. 19 ±            6            On-site investigation +
                    modification                                         diagnostics
                                                                         + Questionnaire survey
                    Variable 2: Heritage
                    Historical          Ih. 20 Vh.          9            Questionnaire survey
                    dimension
                    Cultural            Ih. 21 Vh.          8            Questionnaire survey
                    dimension
                    Variable 3: Identification
                    Representation      Ih. 22 H.           6            Questionnaire survey +
                                                                         direct/visual observation
                    Marking space       Ih. 23 H.           8            Questionnaire survey +
                                                                         direct/visual observation




                                                                                                           CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE




Figure 5. Analysis of the interior habitability of the medina of Mostaganem (Source: authors 2018).




                                                                                                      91
F. Bouzid, M.K. Maghfour , E.A. Mballa - Towards an analytical habitability grid for heritage




                                                                                                Figure 6. Habitability of the medina of Mostaganem compared to medium habitability (Source:
                                                                                                authors 2018).




                                                                                                Figure 7. Habitability of the medina of Mostaganem compared to ideal habitability (Source:
                                                                                                authors 2018).




                                                                                           92
   5.1. Discussion of results

   There is no need to idealize the dynamics of transformations made by man in this
situation, it is about relying on the conception that “it’s life that’s right” [25] and ques-
tioning the way people live and the limits that exist in the use of the spaces.
   There are many criteria to define the livability of a city with criteria differing according
to people’s personality, cultural and national background, conditions and expectations.
   On the whole, there are two rationales that define user practices. The first is
conservative, which corresponds to the acts of the native inhabitants of the medina
“Ouled el bled” and is an adaptation to everyday life ‘to live’. It fits into a trend of
medium habitability. The photos below present some attempts to inhabit various
spaces (Figure 8).




Figure 8. Patio cover with (a) reeds and plants; (b) sheet metal; (c) and glazing. (Source:
authors 2018).



    The second rationale is degrading, which concerns tenant and squatter inhabitants.
It is about greatly modifying the place “to take advantage of the place”. For example,
the fragmentation of the patio and its complete closure, to lodge in a garage, the brutal
opening of windows and their closures (Figure 9). These are acts that contribute to the




                                                                                                       CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
loss of the place, especially when these transformations are irreversible.




       Figure 9. Closure / brutal opening of a door and a window (Source: authors 2018).


                                                                                                  93
                                                                                                   The logics of habitability / unhabitability of space, however, are faced with a
                                                                                                variety of conflicting aspects. On the one hand there is a conflict related to ap-
                                                                                                propriation of the place, as well as the dynamics of transformations used to inhabit
                                                                                                and, on the other hand, to capitalize on the historic place, as well as taking into
                                                                                                account interventions of preservation and reconversion relating to monuments and
                                                                                                houses of notables.


                                                                                                   5.2. Challenges and perspectives

                                                                                                    In the present research, setting aside the statistical vision of habitability qualified
                                                                                                as the interaction between man and traditional houses, it is important to consider
F. Bouzid, M.K. Maghfour , E.A. Mballa - Towards an analytical habitability grid for heritage




                                                                                                the sensory relationship of this interaction which may range from the redistribution
                                                                                                of internal spaces to the modification of the facades. These are strategies that
                                                                                                highlight the process of the quest for autonomy and is shaped by a given kind of
                                                                                                life. It does not remain constant and its unpredictability is a factor in the evolution
                                                                                                of user expectations.
                                                                                                    To understand the condition in which man lives, we must first understand the his-
                                                                                                tory and the memory of places. It is a redefinition of the past through present experi-
                                                                                                ences. Man aspires to align himself with a series of imperatives of modernity through
                                                                                                the introduction of commodities, the ambition of some comfort and to offer a new
                                                                                                model occupying a space that is closer to the image that the inhabitants want to offer
                                                                                                of themselves; ‘a group takes possession of a space and transforms it into its image’
                                                                                                [26]. This image corresponds to a quest for ideal habitability which might distort the
                                                                                                space of the traditional house.




                                                                                                              Figure 10. Trend towards ideal habitability (Source: authors 2018).



                                                                                                   From the diagram in Figure 10 it was concluded that the ideal is to move towards
                                                                                                medium habitability, which varies according to each occupant but as a whole gives
                                                                                                the same result that takes into consideration the adaptation of a traditional house
                                                                                                to modern life. The action is considered in a historical continuity by articulating data
                                                                                                inherited from the past with those envisaged in the future [27].




                                                                                           94
    6. Conclusion

    As in any field of research there are limits and constraints that structure the work,
such as missing information and difficulty in obtaining some data, the present research
is no different.
    The medina of Mostaganem represents the site chosen for the application of the
grid conceived to analyze its habitability. From the application, two rationales relating
to the transformation of the medina were highlighted: habitability / in-habitability of the
space. According to this logic, three actors stand out: the actors who live, the actors
who reside and the actors who profit from the places. These actors are determinant in
the fate of the medina and whether it will be able to remain inhabited or not.
    In a more general way, to live does not mean to reside but rather use the historic
place; it is to have the use of the historic place and to perform the acts of everyday life,
in a process that leads to an ideal form of habitability.
    In the role of the analytical habitability grid of heritage, it is essential to know, on the
one hand, if the inhabitants are aware of the heritage they inhabit, and on the other,
whether habitability makes it possible to ensure a continuity of the living spirit of an
inherited place together with a continuity of the life in the historic place.
    As a final consideration, it is important to highlight the originality of the present
research which resides in the fact that the grid is designed to be used as a model
of analysis of the habitability of the historic tissue, qualified as the oldest part of
major Islamic Arab-Berber cities, the ‘medina’. This grid model not only allows the
analysis of the quality of life in an ordinary residential area, but also analyzes a
living inherited object.
    More generally, putting the grid into perspective helps to develop a critical per-
spective of the current state of the medinas and opens up prospects for participatory
medina preservation in the long term.




                                                                                                            CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
    Notes

1
      In this research, the term “man” is used to refer to the term “human being”.
2
      «Halkats» plural of «halka»: street art, local art that consists of reinventing tales, stories
      and songs by a man named ‘El medah’ in a specified place in the presence of curious.
3
      Habitable space 03-096/1. According to the “By-law concerning the sanitation and mainte-
      nance of dwelling units”, CANADA, habitable space is a space or a room used or intended
      to be used for cooking or eating, sleeping or living purposes, excluding a bathroom, a water
      closet, a storage space, a closet, and a laundry room. Available at http://ville.montreal.qc.
      ca/sel/sypreconsultation/afficherpdf?idDoc=1039&typeDoc=1, [Accessed the 12/06/2018].
4
      Local nomination which means “precious spoils”.
5
      According to the POS – Mostaganem [Ground Occupation Plan] Long-term demographic
      perspectives, 2022.
6
      According to the field survey established by the author (October 2016 to September 2018).
7
      According to PDAU-Mostaganem [Master Plan Of Development And Urban Planning], De-
      cember 2006, phase III.




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  Biographical notes

    Fatima Bouzid is an architect and a PhD student at the Science and Technology
University of Oran, Algeria. She is specialized in medinal heritage in the Maghreb
in general, and in Algeria in particular. She started her research with all forms of
heritage (restoration, rehabilitation). She then focused more in detail on a participa-




                                                                                               CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
tory conservation method. She has actively participated in several events of earthen
architecture and preservation of heritage. She has presented different articles in
several conferences related to the theme of heritage preservation, adding a digi-
tal dimension to valorize and preserve heritage, tourism, and more specifically the
preservation of the medinal heritage in Algeria. She is particularly interested in cal-
ligraphy, mosaic and sculpture.

   Malika Kacemi Maghfour is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Sci-
ence and Technology of Oran, Algeria. Her main interest is urbanism and heritage.
Her PhD thesis is about the integration of the littoral specificities in town planning
documents. She has furthered her research in the sustainable development and
conservation of architectural heritage. She has recently become interested in tour-
ism and nineteenth century heritage. She is currently the President of the scientific
committee of the Department of architecture at the Science and Technology Uni-
versity of Oran, Algeria.

    Emmanuel Amougou Mballa is a doctor in sociology, qualified to conduct re-
search, professor-researcher at the National School of Architecture of Paris La Vil-
lette. His research work focuses on heritage issues – material and immaterial – in
contemporary societies. This research orientation takes a critical look at the objects


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                                                                                                he tries to analyze, from a sociological point of view, as all of his publications attest.
                                                                                                His work involves attempting to understand the mechanisms, logic and effects that
                                                                                                are at the beginning of phenomena such as: the passage of tangible or intangible
                                                                                                objects to heritage status; the logic of social domination in the construction of peri-
                                                                                                urban spaces; urban spaces (cities) as places of staging and reproduction of social
                                                                                                and symbolic differentiations.


                                                                                                    Summary
                                                                                                    Conservation of historic cities is limited in many countries to valorization and safe-
                                                                                                guarding which is performed utilizing several types of interventions. Many countries
                                                                                                aware of the importance of their heritage in the development of human life, are cur-
F. Bouzid, M.K. Maghfour , E.A. Mballa - Towards an analytical habitability grid for heritage




                                                                                                rently concerned with their inhabitants’ participatory role in conservation. The historic
                                                                                                cities in Algeria are not immune to this fact.
                                                                                                    Nowadays, particular attention is paid to the quality of life in historic Algerian cities
                                                                                                which are in continuous transformation. It has become an urgent issue to inquire into
                                                                                                the state of these medinas. The aim of this article is to design an analysis grid of habit-
                                                                                                ability for these historical cities in order to interpret the quality of life, as well as the
                                                                                                understanding of the man-made quest for ideal livability.
                                                                                                    The adopted methodology is divided into two parts: first, making the grid and sec-
                                                                                                ond, its projection and analysis. Application of the grid requires very diverse data and
                                                                                                a field of study. For this purpose, several tools were mobilized: a questionnaire survey,
                                                                                                field measurements and direct diagnosis. For a positive outcome to the research, field-
                                                                                                work is essential. This is the case study of the Medina of Mostaganem.


                                                                                                    Riassunto
                                                                                                    La conservazione delle città storiche è limitata, in molti Paesi, alla valorizzazione e
                                                                                                alla salvaguardia che viene eseguita utilizzando diversi tipi di interventi. Molti Paesi,
                                                                                                consapevoli dell’importanza del loro patrimonio nello sviluppo della vita umana, sono
                                                                                                attualmente interessati al ruolo partecipativo dei loro abitanti nella conservazione. Le
                                                                                                città storiche in Algeria non sono immuni da questo fatto.
                                                                                                    Oggigiorno, particolare attenzione è rivolta alla qualità della vita nelle città storiche
                                                                                                algerine che sono in continua trasformazione. Analizzare lo stato di queste città stori-
                                                                                                che è diventato un problema urgente. Lo scopo di questo articolo è di progettare una
                                                                                                metodologia di analisi di abitabilità al fine di interpretare la qualità della vita e compren-
                                                                                                dere gli standard di vivibilità ideale.
                                                                                                    La metodologia adottata è divisa in due parti: la griglia e la sua proiezione e analisi.
                                                                                                L’applicazione della griglia richiede dati molto diversi e un settore di studio. A tal fine,
                                                                                                sono stati utilizzati diversi strumenti: un questionario, misurazioni sul campo e analisi
                                                                                                diretta. Per il positivo risultato della ricerca è essenziale il lavoro sul campo: il caso
                                                                                                studio presentato é relativo alla città di Mostaganem.




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