Towards Sustainable Tramway Construction in Ali Mendjeli, Algeria: An Environmental and Social Management Plan

Abstract

This study examines how the construction of the tramway has affected urban quality of life in Ali Mendjeli, Algeria, and develops a site-specific Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for impact mitigation. The research combined non-directive interviews (n=30), a structured questionnaire (346 valid responses), and Pareto analysis to identify the most critical disturbances experienced by residents, merchants, and users. The findings show that mobility, environmental nuisance, safety, communication, and local economic disruption were the dominant concerns, with access difficulty and lack of prior information emerging as major stressors. In response, the proposed ESMP organizes diagnosis, mitigation, stakeholder coordination, monitoring, and continuous improvement within an operational framework adapted to the Algerian context. The paper contributes a transferable management tool that places urban quality of life at the center of construction-site governance.