Salamieh Resilience / Habitat Planning
(Terms of Reference)
1. Introduction
As an apex agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, the goal of Aga Khan Agency for
Habitat (AKAH) is to ensure that, people live in safe, sustainable, and resilient habitats with
the opportunity to thrive, whether in a remote mountain village, a town, or a densely populated
urban centre. It works with communities to help prepare for and respond to natural disasters
and the effects of climate change. It emphasizes the fact that people need to have access to
services and the opportunity to improve their quality of life. It supports communities to prepare
for disasters by providing immediate relief after disaster strikes and helping build back better
– and greener – while planning for a better future. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH)
currently operates in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Syria, Pakistan, and India, with plans to expand
further in Central Asia and East Africa.
2. Background – Salamiyah City and Neighborhood
Salamiyah is a city located in the Hama Governorate in central Syria, approximately 33
kilometers southeast of Hama, the provincial capital. The city is situated on the eastern edge of
the Orontes Valley and is surrounded by a large agricultural plain. The population of Salamiyah
is estimated at more than 150,000 people. It spreads over an area of more than10 km². In the
next 25 years or so, the city is projected to have 20 km² built-up areas and a doubling of the
present population.
Salamiyah has a rich history dating back to ancient times, and the city has been inhabited by
various civilizations including the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs. The city is known for its
historic citadel, which was built during the 12th century by the Crusaders and later taken over
by the Mamluks. The Citadel is one of the most important historical landmarks in the region.
Salamiyah is also an important transportation hub, as it is located at the intersection of several
major highways. The city has a large bus station that serves as a transit point for travelers
heading to other parts of Syria. In addition, Salamiyah is home to a number of small and
medium-sized factories that produce textiles, food products, and other goods.
Salamiyah and the surrounding areas are prone to a number of natural hazards including
earthquakes and draught. As per Global Seismic Hazard Map, the city falls under a medium
seismic zone. Likewise, the region is prone to drought due to its semi-arid climate, experiencing
occasional droughts and dust storms. Dust storms are common, especially during the spring
and summer months. These can cause respiratory problems, as well as damage to crops and
other vegetation in the area.
Like many cities in Syria, Salamiyah has been affected by the ongoing civil war in the country.
The city has seen periodic clashes between government forces and opposition fighters and has
also experienced occasional bombings and other forms of violence. Despite the conflict,
however, Salamiyah City has managed to maintain a relatively stable and peaceful atmosphere
compared to other parts of the country.
The economy of Salamiyah is largely based on agriculture, with the surrounding plain being a
major producer of wheat, cotton, and other crops. The city is also home to a number of small
businesses, including restaurants, shops, and service providers. Education and healthcare are
provided by a number of public and private institutions, including Salamiyah University and
several hospitals and clinics.
3. Project Background
Salamiyah’s urban landscape has evolved significantly over the years, reflecting the city's
dynamic growth. Starting from just 0.87 km2
in 1970, Salamiyah expanded its footprint to 2.97
km2
by 1985. The city's continuous development saw it encompass 7 km2
in 2004 and further
extend to 8.67 km2 in 2012. The latest measure in 2020 recorded Salamiyah covering an area
of 10.1 km2
. This growth had led to increased pressure on the existing infrastructure and urban
services giving rise to unplanned urban sprawl, poverty, and a general lack of basic services to
meet the growing population’s needs. This in turn has a negative impact on the quality of life
of citizens.
Preparation and implementation of a well-thought-out Resilience Plan for Salamiyah may go a
long way in catering to changing and growing needs of the people of Salamiyah and be an
example of how long-term planning could be the way forward for sustainable urban planning
and development in Salamiyah and the larger region – including other urban centres in Syria.
The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), in collaboration with other Aga Khan
Development Network (AKDN) institutions, has embarked upon the exercise of formulating
a Resilience Plan for Salamiyah. AKAH, with the support of other important stakeholders,
has so far carried out a number of activities including consultations and participatory planning
workshops, field assessments, database creation and data collection, and Habitat Assessment
activities to pave the way for the preparation of a new Resilience Plan for the city. This
Resilience Plan will have the potential to attract more regions to focus on urban planning and
design initiatives for their own cities, across Syria.
4. Resilience Plan for Salamiyah
AKAH now intends to hire the services of an internationally recognized firm for the
development of the long-term Resilience Plan for Salamiyah. Salamiyah being the largest city
in the region was designed to host approximately 100,000 people, which it did back in 2010.
Since then, the city has nearly doubled with little or no improvements to the city, giving rise
to increased pressure on infrastructure and services and a lower quality of life for the citizens.
The vision for the Resilience Plan is to ensure that the citizens of Salamiyah City maintain a
good quality of life, whilst also understanding the need to preserve its history and culture
and recognizing the strategic location and agricultural history of the city. The Resilience
Plan for Salamiyah will consider the activities carried out in this regard so far and build on to these
in the following manner:
4.1 Preparation of a City Profile
The HP Consultant will be required to critically review current literature and take into assessment
data compiled by AKAH in consultation with all important stakeholders by creating a database,
carrying out field assessments and participatory planning workshops for municipal planning and
urban design. This will formulate the basis for ascertaining the scope of HP activity and identify
any critical data gaps that need to be filled to prepare a city profile covering the strategic, regional
and city dynamics.
The strategic context will cover the snapshot indicators at the country level, national &
international settings, administrative & governance systems, national development
agendas/planning frameworks national planning system, migration context, spatial impact of out
migration, and climate risk; Regional Context will cover the aspects of urban growth patterns,
location & connectivity, social & demographic context, land use patterns, ecological framework,
urban & rural economy, existing and planned infrastructure, and development potential; while the
city context will cover legislation & governance structure assessment, previous/current planning
frameworks, social and demographic context and migration, climate change, resilience and risk
mapping, blue and green network, transport and connectivity, basic urban services, water, waste
and sanitation management, social infrastructure and public services, local economy/markets,
social and religious service(s), mobility patterns, connectivity, walkability, housing, land and
property (Land ownership analysis), urban fabric and urban morphology, public space patterns,
analysis of current infrastructure, city structure and neighborhood context.
Furthermore, the Consultant will also review and consider the Habitat Assessment Report
prepared by AKAH and Damage Assessment Report prepared in the aftermath of the earthquake
and recommendations of the Salamiyah City Recovery Plan led by UN-HABITAT.
4.2 Preparation of Resilience Plan
The consultant will be required to come up with urban planning strategies and design
alternatives by involving the local community in the Resilience Planning process. This could
include workshops, public consultations, and participatory design processes. The Resilience
Plan will highlight the importance of gender and social inclusion in urban planning, ensuring
that the needs and perspectives of marginalized groups, gender groups, and age groups are
considered in the planning process.
The outcome of the foregoing would result in the preparation of a Resilience Plan suggesting
a strategic framework for the short, medium, and long-term development of the city and the
peri-urban areas. The Resilience Plan will focus on:
? Determination of growth scenarios and design strategies
? A long-term Habitat Development Plan
? Short Term Action Plan(s) for Priority Infrastructure Development
? An immediate action plan for the core urban area and restoration of important
cultural and heritage infrastructure and buildings
? An economic development and investment plan
? A climate change, adaptability, and resilience plan
? Implementation Plan including Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
The consultant will also design and conduct sessions to strengthen the capacity of
AKAH/AKDN professionals, government officials, and community members. This will
include training on how to use the Resilience Plan, design alternative strategies, and
update them over a period of time.
4.3 Detailed Design
Building on the city-wide strategic Resilience Plan and recommendations (outlined in the
previous component), the consultant team will lead both the Detailed Design and the Proofof-Concept Design components. The Detailed Design will include but is not limited to
developing a priority infrastructure development plan aligned with the outputs and
recommendations of the Resilience Plan. The Detailed Design outputs will first include the
identification of prioritized areas in the Resilience Plan to be further detailed in the ‘proof
of concept’ phase. In addition, the Detailed Design phase includes the provision and details
of key elements such as street layouts, block types, and housing typologies. This will include
technical inputs and details such as ROWs, Land Use, and physical development regulative
frameworks, as required by the government and key stakeholders.
4.4 Proof of Concept Design
Facilitate meetings, workshops, and consultation with local authorities, key stakeholders,
and community representatives in the identification of proof-of-concept design areas and
interventions based on the needs and recommendations of the Resilience Plan. The proofof-concept designs will be integrated with the development of the detailed design phase and
the further development of the Detailed Design. The proof-of-concept phase includes the
development of Pilot Demonstration Projects at the district or neighborhood level,
incorporating sustainability and resilience principles identified during the previous
components. The proof-of-concept designs will include participatory planning inputs,
review and feedback, community consultations, government, and stakeholder engagement
and validation throughout the process. As required, the team will take into infrastructurerelated inputs for both the detailed designs and the selected proof of concept designs. This
will include, but is not limited to outlining FARs, plot setbacks, building types, building
volumes, and heights for the selected proof of concept designs, and most importantly the
conservation of heritage buildings.
5. Salamiyah Resilience Plan Outputs
Preparation of City Profile
? City Profile Report (i.e., comprehensive spatial strategy; sustainability and
resilience indicators; climate adaptation; forecast assessments up to 2050;
demographic and economic development trends; regulatory framework according
to the resilience criteria).
Preparation of Resilience / Habitat Plan
? Resilience Plan suggesting a strategic framework for the short, medium, and longterm development of the city and the peri-urban areas focusing on growth scenarios
and spatial strategy for growth, action plan for priority infrastructure development
and core urban area development including restoration of important cultural and
heritage buildings, an economic development and assessment plan, and
implementation plan including monitoring and evaluation framework.
? Strategy to develop community and stakeholders’ engagement and capacity
development plan.
Detailed Design
? Result of community, government, key stakeholder consultation, and spatial
strategy diagnosis.
? City-wide strategic design recommendations aligned with the masterplan, design
and zoning guidelines, national building code assessment, and review.
? Detailed Design including street layout, block types, housing typologies, and
building regulative framework.
Proof of Concept
? Pilot Demonstration Projects developed at the district or neighbourhood level
including infrastructure details, ROWs, Land Use, plot setbacks, building volumes
and heights, and conservation of cultural and heritage buildings.
? Result of community, government, key stakeholder consultation, and spatial
strategy diagnosis.
6. Reporting Requirements and Expected Deliverables
Activity Description Output Delivery
Timeline
1. Inception
Phase and
Preplanning
Report
• Incorporating: the goals, objectives, scope, entry points,
methodology, key activities, outcomes, workplan, resource
requirements, ToR review, team composition, scoping
mission/field visit plans, stakeholders' initial engagement
and plan, access to habitat assessment, detailed data and
source requirements and supplementary documents from the
Government.
• Inputs and engagement from Government stakeholders
(English and Arabic).
1 month after
mobilization
2. City
Profile
Report
• City Profile Report including comprehensive spatial
strategy; sustainability and resilience indicators; naturebased mitigation solutions aligned to climate adaptation;
forecast assessments up to 2050; demographic and economic
development trends, revision of the regulatory framework
according to the resilience criteria
• Existing policy and legislative analysis and planning
guidelines at the regional and city-wide scale. Analysis and
mapping of relevant urban legislation instruments (primary
& secondary legislation, international documents on climate
change issues forming a part of Syrian legislation)
• Provision of recommendations on legislation updates as well
as those applicable specifically to the local level (Salamiyah)
• Technical stakeholder consultation, knowledge exchange
• Awareness/sensitization material for identified
stakeholders based on finalized reports
2 months after
mobilization
3. Resilience
Planning
Report
• Strategic city-wide planning document, identifying the action
areas and priority projects
• Various action/sectoral plans
• Neighbourhood design proposals in identified sites for
priority areas; sample design recommendations;
adherence to nature-based solutions, where appropriate;
urban design and spatial strategy guidelines
• Policy guidelines and whitepapers to support resilient
and climate-adaptive planning aligned with key projects
• Awareness/sensitization material for identified
stakeholders based on finalized reports
3.5 months after
mobilization
Activity Description Output Delivery
Timeline
4. Detailed
Design
Plans and
Report
• Detailed design based on recommendations and findings
• Outputs include, but are not limited to street layout, block
types, housing typologies, and detailed regulatory framework
to accompany these design outputs.
5 months after
mobilization
5. Proof of
Concept
Design
• Proof of concept designs for implementation with
infrastructure recommendations at the district or
neighbourhood level integrated with detailed designs and
transformative strategic planning outputs
6.5 months after
mobilization
6. Project
Consolidat
ion Report
and broad
recommen
dations
• Project Consolidation Report 8 months after
mobilization
TOTAL 8 months
7. Type of Consultancy
The Consultant shall be a Firm or Academic Consortium with the professional experience and
expertise to satisfy the requirements of the project.
8. Duration of Consultancy
The duration of this consultancy is Eight (08) months.
9. Qualifications & Experience
The Consultant must show the capability to complete the work by showing a complement of
staff or Consultants with the qualifications and past relevant experience (or previous work)
that will provide the quality of work expected. The team should have minimum skills and
experience as listed in the table below.
Position Minimum Qualification Minimum Experience in
Related Work
Lead Urban Planner Ph.D. / MSc in Urban Planning / Design or related field 15 years
Urban Design
Specialist
Ph.D. / MSc. Urban Design / Architecture 10 years
Environment and
Climate Change
Specialist
Ph.D. / MSc Environmental Planning / Management or related
field
10 years
Data Analyst MSc. In Statistics / Data Informatics 10 years
GIS Expert Ph.D. / MSc Geography / Cartography / Remote Sensing or
related field
10 Years
Infrastructure
Development
Specialist
Ph.D. / MSc Road & Traffic Engineering or related field 10 Years
Municipal Services
Specialist
Ph.D. / MSc in Municipal Services Engineering or related field 10 Years
10. PAYMENT SCHEDULE
The Consultant will be reimbursed according to the following payment schedule, once
deliverables have been submitted, reviewed, and accepted:
S
No.
Deliverable Due date Payment
(%)
1. Inception Report 1 month after signing of contract 20
2. City Profile Report 2 months after signing of contract 20
3. Resilience Planning Report 3.5 months after signing of
contract
20
4. Detailed Design Report 5 months after signing of contract 20
5. Proof of Concept Report(s) 6.5 months after signing of
contract
10
6.
Project Consolidation Report / Final Consultancy
Report
8 months after signing of contract 10
11. Request for technical and financial proposals
All interested international firms are requested to apply for this assignment within two weeks
of this announcement. All first are required to provide technical proposal, financial proposals,
evidence of experience in the region, firms profile and CVs of the key resources.

Job Email id: akah.syria(at)akdn.org