The MEDINA Project involves the participatory urban renewal of historic cities in Yemen, using heritage preservation as a starting point to address the needs of a living community and develop wider urban renewal processes, improvements in housing conditions and local economic development.
Historic residential buildings are renovated and restored using locally-available materials and reviving traditional skills and construction techniques. Residents are involved throughout the process and engage with the local authorities in defining recommendations and strategies for the rehabilitation of their cities.
Initiated in 2007 under a bilateral agreement between the Yemeni and German governments, the project began with the historic cities of Shibam and Zabid and is now being adapted and transferred to other cities across the country.
