Doctoral Dissertation Research: Restructuring of Urban Space in Post-War Beirut, Lebanon

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

This research project examines recent changes in urban space and urban geography in Beirut, Lebanon and its implications for Beirut as a city-in-conflict. Temporally, two moments are important for this project: the post civil war phase (1975-1990) during which the Lebanese government has given monetary compensations for internally displaced families, and the period following the July 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel during which the destroyed southern suburbs of Beirut have been undergoing reconstruction, devoid of any state intervention. The project will use archival and ethnographic research methods, mainly open-ended interviews, non-participant and participant observation, to investigate three case studies that represent different historical moments and sites in Beirut. Studies on the production of urban space have mostly focused on public (e.g. the state) and/or private (e.g. developers) actors. This project argues for the need also to bring "civil society" actors to the foreground in the debate on the current restructuring of cities. By studying the spatial processes and practices of religious civil society actors and their role in the production of urban space in Beirut, this project brings a new dimension to the understanding of cities. It pushes forward current theories on the production of space, the right to the city, segregation, and public space. The study argues that the post-conflict geography of Beirut can only be understood through investigating the articulation of space, war, ideology, and neoliberal economic processes. The project contributes to the field of urban studies in the Middle East through exploring the intersection of market processes with religious ideologies in shaping urban space. By bringing to the center the active role of space-making in understanding violence and conflict, the study will have implications for global debates on geographies of violence, cities in conflict, and post-conflict cities. As a doctoral dissertation improvement grant this award will allow a promising student to establish a research career.