Abstract
This chapter is the result of a research project on the peri-urban area in Greater Beirut conducted at the Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management (LDEM) Department at American University of Beirut (AUB), and improved during the fall semester 2013–2014, LDEM design course titled ‘Site design in urban context.’ The research explores the potentiality of landscape approach using urban agriculture as a sustainable strategy capable of reconstructing brooked identity and territorialised marginalised people. Could the use of urban agriculture in Beirut play a role in the break off gentrification process?
Real estate is a major driver of the economy in many countries of the Middle East, as in other developing nations. It is one of the main barriers to the development or implementation of zoning and planning regulations that would make urban agriculture more than a fortuitous and temporary use of space (Zurayk 2010). Moreover, A-line Raad argues that Lebanese urban society is now undergoing a paradigm shift in social thought and action towards valuing heritage, public space, social cohesion, and accessibility to leisure and cultural activities recognising that these factors can enhance urban liveability. The peri-urban greater Beirut area was chosen in the design course as a case study to explore, while designing, the potentiality of the landscape approach in addressing the multiple features of those areas. The gentrification process in Beirut was identified as one of the drivers of the city development causing de-territorialisation and incongruous land use coexistence.
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Acknowledgment
The authors would like to acknowledge Mr. Rabih Shibli, the co-instructor of the course, for his contribution, the students for their research and works and all the people who have helped during the research period. The material collected was made possible by the generous support of the Beirut DGU, the AUB library that helped us in the recovering of historical maps and sources, the FAFS and LDEM department.
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Trovato, M.G., Farajalla, N., Truglio, O. (2016). Gentrification Versus Territorialisation: The Peri-Urban Agriculture Area in Beirut. In: Maheshwari, B., Thoradeniya, B., Singh, V.P. (eds) Balanced Urban Development: Options and Strategies for Liveable Cities. Water Science and Technology Library, vol 72. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28112-4_29
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