City Profile
El Mina is a peninsula looking over the Mediterranean Sea. It occupies a total surface of 3.5 km².
El Mina means Port in Arabic. It is located 3 Km from Tripoli (the capital of North Lebanon) and 80 Km from the Capital Beirut.
Population estimated: 60.000. Around 40% live in the old town. Religions: Sunni Muslims, Greek Orthodox, and Armenians.
The old town did not escape the civil war but its monuments buildings and urban fabric were less damaged.
The city’s economy was seriously disrupted by the civil war (1975-1990).
Potential for the development of tourism.
It is considered one of the main coastal cities in Lebanon (Tyre, Sidon, Beirut and Byblos).
Fishermen populate the majority of the old part.

Political and administrative decentralization in Lebanon
Lebanon is a highly centralized state;
Municipalities are the only form of decentralization in Lebanon;
Law 118 of 1997 makes municipalities financially autonomous. In theory, they can spend as they choose; however, in practice, the story is very different;
Municipalities can collect more than 35 different taxes and fees;
Fees and tariffs collected directly by the municipality such as registration of rental property, residential and commercial rental contracts, advertising permits, construction permits, and revenues from municipal property, tariffs, or user fees on sewage systems and pavements;
Taxes collected by the state on behalf of municipalities that are supposed to be redistributed according to a formula — e.g., 10% on built real estate; 15% on profits of commercial, industrial and non-commercial professions; 10% on transfer of companies, bequests and grants; and 3.5% of port authority collections.
Fees collected by private institutions and transferred to municipal accounts including 3% on insurance premiums and 10% on cellular phones added to the consumer’s bill.
Tariffs or user fees collected by the state or other public administrations such as the 10% surtax on water usage fees collected by the water authority; 10% on electricity consumption collected by Flectricit du Liban; 10% on telephone subscriptions and calls; and revenues from loans, grants and bequests.
However most of these revenues go to the Independent Municipal Fund — under the authority of the Ministry of Finance. Not one parliament member has officially asked the government how much money is in this Fund — probably for political reasons. This shows the extent to which issues of municipalities and their financing are considered unimportant. (World Bank Report)
The capacity of municipal governments in dealing with both the state’s central administration, as well as with their own local constituencies, is limited. An evaluation of the internal capacity of local governments (profiles and proficiency of local councilors/elites, state and issues of staffing, administrative and managerial capacities, fiscal outreach, level and quality of routine service delivery and capacity for project development and implementation) also shows the limitations of the present structures (Al Khouri, 2006).

Previous Experience in Cooperation Projects
Urban planning projects with the Lebanese University, Lebanese American University and Toulouse – France.
World Bank Cultural and Urban Development Project: with the support of the World Bank and in the framework of its “Cultural Heritage and Urban Development project”, the Old Souk of El-Mina was renovated in 2006.
Economic and Social Fund for Development Project (EU)- Local Development Plan (400.000 €) 2006-2007- Four development projects are underway.
Currently involved in Archimedes (Med-Pact Project with Genoa and other EU and MEDA cities)

Experience in Urban Planning
In collaboration with the Municipality of El Mina, two universities have undertaken studies on the City and made proposals for its revitalization.
The first initiative "Ville-Patrimoine - Reconstruction d'El-Mina" was undertaken by the School of Architecture of Toulouse – France University in collaboration with the "Université Saint Esprit de Kaslik" in Lebanon. The second, "El-Mina, re-generating the city" was undertaken by students from the Lebanese American University – School of Engineering and Architecture. Both projects presented ideas for the port city revival and attempted to find modern and local solutions to urban planning issues and the loss of urban identity.
Due to the lack of municipal personnel in urban planning, El Mina Municipality is supported by the President of the Order of Engineers in North Lebanon who serves on the Higher Council of Urban Planning in Lebanon, in addition to professional NGOs (For example, ABAAD Association and GAIA Heritage)

El Mina & Strategic Planning
The Mayor and his staff were recently introduced to methodology of urban strategic planning through the other Med-Pact Project Archimedes, which is led by Venice.
The City Council is also reviewing the document presented by Valencia and CEyD.
The Method seems promising, especially in creating empowerment among the City Council members, civil servants, politicians, local people, NGOs, businessmen, and other stakeholders. Democratization of the decision making is also an added value.
The local working group will be formed and will adapt the plan to the Lebanese context.

Expectations for the STREAM CITIES project
Developing synergies with other projects that are underway in El Mina (Local Development Plan, Archimedes, Ecotourism, Center for Communication and Permanent Training for the Activation of Tourism, the Island for Maritime Environment).
El Mina needs support in the financial management of the project.