Ceuta and Melilla look like Morocco in an alternate universe where things actually work
Was lurking on Google Earth and fell into a rabbit hole looking at Ceuta and Melilla.
And it hit me. These cities look exactly like Moroccan cities. Same buildings, same layout, same density. Even that yellowish paint you find on literally every building across Morocco.
I always thought that paint was ugly. Turns out I was wrong. It's not ugly. It's just never maintained in Morocco.
Look at Melilla on Google Earth. The roads are nothing fancy. No fancy architecture, no modern design. Just a normal '7ay Cha3bi'. But the lines on the road are painted. Parking signs exist. Sidewalks are simple but they're continuous, you can actually walk on them. There are trees. A nice balance between palm trees and ficus. Basic stuff, nothing extraordinary.
Now look at the exact same type of neighborhood in Casablanca or any Moroccan city. Same buildings. But the sidewalk disappears after 3 meters. No road markings. Cars parked in every direction. Buildings look abandoned even when people live in them. Roads are horrendous.
It's the same city. Literally the same architecture. The difference is just management.
Nobody is asking Morocco to build Dubai. Just paint the buildings. Put up a parking sign. Maintain the sidewalk. Plant trees.
Ceuta and Melilla are Moroccan cities that ended up on the other side of a border. And that border made all the difference. We have a lot to learn from the South of Spain in terms of urban planning and design. Although I'm aware the North of Morocco is somehow tidier than "dakhel".