Chapter I: Social and climate justice in the context of urban planning in the Arab region

Ibn Khaldun considers that urbanization is “how a country ages and improves its situation with the mediation of agriculture, industry, trade, its large population of citizens and the success of business and urbanization”. Today, it seems to be limited to the development of construction and urbanization. With the domination of the capitalist system, urbanized areas prevail and are  integrated in the global economy while rural communities become marginalized. In fact, this urban phenomenon not only affects current populations but also future generations. This chapter presents the issue of the southern coast of Tunisia, a so-called “Paradise” that has become a victim of the economic trend of lack of infrastructure, population inflation and pressure of industrial activities. The second case study takes us to Egypt, specifically to the city of New Alamein, an area totally dependent on consumerism and a surplus in production which negatively affects the environment and society. Finally, the third study looks at Lebanon’s civil organization sector, which is a fundamental pillar of the national vision of economic development and is rooted in corruption, making citizens and land hostage to the cement sector