In early October 2026, the decree approving the new plan d'aménagement (zoning plan) for Maarif, in Casablanca, was published in the Bulletin officiel (Official Gazette). For ten years, this document sets what may be built, renovated or reserved for public facilities in the district. For an owner, it is far more than a technical document: it governs what may be built and can pave the way for expropriations. Understanding the procedure and its effects helps owners react at the right time.
A plan adopted in several stages
The Maarif plan illustrates the typical path of a zoning plan. A public inquiry was held from 11 September to 10 October 2025: this is the period during which residents and owners can consult the draft and submit their comments. The district council then voted on 31 October 2025, followed by the Casablanca municipal council on 2 December 2025. A committee in charge of examining objections met on 25 March 2026, before the plan was approved by decree and published in the Official Gazette.
This timeline shows that the most useful window for raising arguments is the public inquiry. Once the decree is published, the plan is binding. An owner who discovers the zoning of a plot only afterwards has fewer options: what remains is mainly to check how the plan applies in practice to the property and, where relevant, to defend one's rights in an expropriation.
What the Maarif plan provides
The new plan continues the 2014 plan and sets the planning rules for a period of ten years. Among the orientations reported by the press are the on-site renovation of Derb Ghallef, without rehousing, a multimodal transport hub at Bachkou and a 56-hectare health city on the site of the Ibn Rochd university hospital (CHU), with a tower of around thirty floors. These projects require land. This is precisely the point on which owners of the plots concerned must stay alert.
Article 28 of Law 12-90: an often overlooked legal effect
Under Article 28 of Law 12-90 on urban planning, the zoning plan is equivalent to a declaration of public utility for the expropriations needed to build the facilities it provides for. In other words, when a plot is reserved for a road, a health facility or another public facility, publication of the plan already has the effect of a declaration of public utility for that project.
The expropriation itself remains governed by Law 7-81 on expropriation for public utility. An owner is therefore not dispossessed merely because the plan has been published: the expropriation procedure must still be carried out and compensation must be set. It is nonetheless useful to know now whether one's land falls within a reserved area, so as not to commit to spending or projects that could later be called into question.
What an owner should check
In practice, a few simple checks help owners anticipate and avoid unpleasant surprises, whether they plan to build, sell or buy within the area covered by the plan. They are useful even when a property does not seem directly affected, since zoning shapes the value and possible uses of land for the whole life of the plan.
- Consult the published plan and identify the zone in which the plot lies, together with the rules that apply there.
- Check whether the land is affected, wholly or partly, by an area reserved for a road or a public facility.
- Gather title deeds, plans and permits already obtained, which will be useful in any later discussion with the authorities.
- Bear in mind the plan's ten-year horizon before starting construction or signing a purchase.
- For a buyer, carry out these checks before signing, since a property's value depends directly on its zoning.
Defending expropriation compensation
Once expropriation begins, the central question becomes the amount of compensation. Disputes over this compensation fall within the jurisdiction of the administrative courts. The owner should present a solid file: features and location of the property, comparisons with neighbouring properties, condition of the buildings, any income generated by the property.
Our advice: do not wait for the court stage to document the value of the property. Dated photographs, expert reports and evidence of investments made carry more weight when gathered early. A lawyer can also check that each step of the procedure followed by the authorities was lawful and properly notified to the owner.
Sources
- Médias24, Amine Bouwafoud, 4 October 2026: « Après sa publication, le nouveau plan d'aménagement de Maarif entre en phase d'exécution »
Maître Mouad Lahfaia
Lawyer at the Rabat Bar
This article reflects the author's views as at the date of publication. It does not constitute legal advice and is no substitute for an analysis of your particular situation.