November 8th marks “World Town Planning Day”—a significant global occasion through which nations and peoples affirm that the organization of spatial environments and the management of urban expansion serve as a solid foundation for achieving social stability, sustainable economic development, and the preservation of human dignity.
At the Syrian Future Movement, we observe this international occasion with a profound sense of national responsibility. We aim to draw attention to the unprecedented urban and structural catastrophe that has befallen Syrian cities and towns as a result of the protracted armed conflict, and we present our comprehensive vision for reshaping the Syrian urban landscape during the transitional phase.
The Syrian Future Movement draws upon the latest statistical and field reports from international organizations and specialized research centers (as of 2026), which document the immense urban challenges facing Syria.
- The Syrian Future Movement asserts that the destruction of more than 45% of the infrastructure and housing units in vital cities—such as Aleppo, Homs, the Damascus countryside, and Hama—represents more than just a material loss; it constitutes a systematic undermining of the foundations of human stability.
- Vast areas have been reduced to rubble, lacking the most basic necessities for life or any form of internationally recognized urban organization. The Syrian Future Movement asserts that the estimated cost for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of road networks, sewage systems, water infrastructure, and master planning—exceeding $180 billion—necessitates a complete departure from haphazard and improvised approaches. It calls for the immediate initiation of international and local partnerships grounded in good governance and absolute integrity.
- The Syrian Future Movement highlights the critical nature of the crisis surrounding informal housing and the expansion of camps for the forcibly displaced. These areas currently shelter millions of Syrians without regard for environmental safety standards or sustainable urban planning, effectively turning them into hubs of human and economic depletion that hinder the path toward national recovery.
Guided by its national vision and a forward-looking perspective that accounts for the complexities of the transitional phase, the Syrian Future Movement proposes the following strategic recommendations and directives:
- The necessity of formulating a green, sustainable national urban strategy that prioritizes the integration of renewable energy sources—such as solar and wind power—into modern construction networks. This includes utilizing low-cost, eco-friendly local building materials to reduce carbon emissions associated with the use of fossil fuels.
- Establishing an intrinsic link between urban planning and transitional justice, including the creation of a secure, digital real estate documentation system.
- This is essential to prevent any tampering with the property rights of the displaced and those forcibly uprooted, and to ensure that new regulatory master plans serve to uphold citizens’ rights rather than strip them away under the guise of politicized real estate development.
- Establishing “participatory local urban councils” across all governorates and municipalities—comprising engineering experts, civil society representatives, and local residents—to ensure the formulation of flexible master plans that address the actual needs of each area and curb the detrimental centralization of development-related decision-making.
Promoting the modernization of academic curricula within Syrian engineering faculties and technical institutes, aligning them with the global technological revolution in the field of “smart and sustainable cities,” in order to prepare a rising generation of national professionals capable of driving the reconstruction process with efficiency and expertise.
