Urban Centres and their Role in Local Development in Ouazzane

Abstract

The significance of each urban economic sphere hinges squarely on the city where it operates since the components of urban economy are based on local production and consumption and on the extent to which the city can organize its urban and rural areas. Ouazzane’s economy depends largely on exchange as a primary source, as do all small towns and villages in the rural community where the weekly souk (or market) play an important economic role for the rural population. Geographically, the city links substantially to the surrounding areas and other cities in an urban space where the relationship between cities is quite diverse depending on each city’s own sphere of influence in the area. Trade and services animate the expansion of the city’s influence, whereby the city amasses more attraction in the area which allows it to create a dynamic sphere with emerging urban centers. This dynamic sphere, as important as it is, enables local development in Ouazzane despite all the challenges