Ibrahim Diab, Damascus governorate’s director of urban planning, said in a radio interview on February 2 that a “draft zoning plan” for Barzeh, including the informally built Ish Al-Warwar district, was nearly ready. He added that the governorate is also working on a draft plan for the neighbouring informal district of Tishreen.
It is not clear what exactly is meant by a “draft zoning plan”, as neither the Urban Planning Law issued by Legislative Decree No. 5 of 1982 nor its subsequent amendments mention such a document. However, Decree No. 5 of 1982 did refer to administrative units developing a preliminary concept for general zoning plans based on the land area proposed by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing. It is possible that this initial document is what is meant by a “draft zoning plan”.