Algeria faces a critical land crisis. The National Agency for Spatial Planning (ANAT) reports excessive land consumption alongside a rapid urbanization rate. Consequently, Algeria issued a new legislative framework between 1990 and 2000. This framework aimed to establish spatial planning as a core tool for sustainable territorial development. However, this article questions the effectiveness of these new regulations and the legislative mechanism governing urban planning. We analyze the legal texts, then assess their applicability by reviewing actual urban planning instruments. Furthermore, this research highlights significant dysfunctions in land management and urban land use. These problems severely compromise the nation’s sustainability goals. We study the city of Blida as a compelling case. This Mitidja region town is a vital national agricultural reservoir, but it suffers from intense land speculation and rapid expansion. Blida now faces severe constraints due to the lack of available land for new urbanization projects.
Mitidja calm. Atlas attitude