Our Cities
Chefchaouen
Morocco
City Details
Inhabitants
42.6k
Area
16 km2
Altitude
564 m
Photo by Heidi Kaiden on Unsplash
City Features
Facts
The city is called "Blue Pearl" of Morocco, because of its traditional houses that are painted blue and white
Chefchaouen means "look at the horns" in Berber, symbolizing the two mountains that overlook the area.
It is a mystery as to why Chefchaouen is blue. Theories include keeping mosquitos away, symbolizing the sky and heaven for spiritual life, or to attract more tourists.
The data track ensures that cities can access and use data to describe their baseline on SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) achievement and inform local action. City level statistical data, spatial data and perception data will be collected and analyzed to:
- Report on the performance of the city such as through Voluntary Local Review,
- Plan local transformative initiatives, and
- Monitor progress.
Participating cities will be provided with digital data tools in line with the Global Urban Monitoring Framework.
The strategic planning track ensures that city data merges with community and stakeholder participation to generate inclusive, spatially represented strategic plans for 2030. Participating cities will be provided with guidance based on an existing range of strategic planning tools.
Cities must identify priorities, complete a Voluntary Local Review, and develop a Strategic Development Plan.
In line with the new urban agenda, this track aims to ensure adequate local systems and institutional capacities in areas of governance; integrated urban and territorial planning and design; effective revenue and finance; and effective, equitable urban basic services. participating cities will be provided with digital diagnostic tools and training materials and will be connected in learning communities with cities with similar capacity development priorities.
This track supports the financing of high impact projects in cities through the Cities Investment Facility, comprising of:
- City Investment Portal - a digital platform through which project promoters and investors can interface. As projects advance their bankability and develop pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, the portal is updated to reflect the stage of the project;
- City Investment Advisory - an advisory service on project preparation, financial design, blended finance, risk mitigation and optimizing SDG impact; it also provides early-stage investor linkages, and
- City Investment Vehicles - that provides initial investment and necessary advisory to late-stage development projects with the goal of bringing them to financial close.
Coming soon.