The Story of Public Space in Beirut's Geography of Power

Abstract

From 1975 until 1990, Lebanon experienced a Civil War that further entrenched sectarian division in its cities. In the country’s capital, Beirut, these divisions were most apparent. Today, the fragmentation that resulted from the war persists, and little opportunity exists in Beirut’s built environment to facilitate integration. Public spaces in Beirut have been regularly transformed into what Dr. Aseel Sawalha calls “prohibited space,” spaces that were formerly inclusive but now exclude the majority of the population. Drawing from existing research on Lebanon’s real estate and urban development industries, this article demonstrates how development and reconstruction since the Civil War have shaped Beirut’s minimal public space into “prohibited space.” This analysis of three formerly public spaces argues that the self-interest of politicians, the legislation catered towards the real estate and development sector, and the prioritization of an internationally attractive cosmopolitan image have transformed Beirut’s built environment into privatized space. Public space in a divided city plays a valuable role in unifying fragmented neighborhoods by providing established spaces that produce interaction and communal understanding in a city that needs healing across sectarian divides.