An integrated ecological and place-based landscape approach to rethinking zoning in Jezzine, Lebanon -

Abstract

Unrestrained growth of settlements in Lebanese mountains is fragmenting and undermining spatial relationships between the built and natural environments. One of the main factors driving this growth is the outdated and real estate centered zoning plans for town and cities. This growth is leading to the fast paced loss of cultural and ecological landscapes gradually transforming mountains into built landscapes. This thesis requestions the tool of zoning by adopting an ecological and place-based approach to propose a new zoning plan for the town of Jezzine, Lebanon. By combining ecological design principles, landscape character assessment, and place-based tools in a GIS environment. Areas that are culturally meaningful to the residents and ecologically sensitive were identified and mapped. This outcome was overlaid on the current zoning plan (2015) to develop a new zoning plan for Jezzine. Areas were proposed to be protected and conserved while guiding development. The proposed zoning plan includes 36 zones (an increase of 22 zones). The zones were named with culturally meaningful titles with guideline descriptions of each. The results provide a new approach to zoning in Lebanon that guides development and protects sensitive areas.