Sectarian Border Zones As Limbo Land: Devising Resilient Urban Design Strategies for the Southern Segment of Old Saida Road

Abstract

Since the end of the Civil War in 1990, Old Saida Road has evolved from a sectarian demarcation line into a fluid border zone serving as an economic exchange thoroughfare between two interfacing communities: the Shi‟a-controlled Ghobeiry district and the Maronite-controlled Chiyah district. However, its Southern segment is still in a state of limbo due to overlapping sectarian land ownership and contested governance. The aim of this thesis is to devise a set of place-making revitalization strategies that instigate a mediating ground between diverging interests and communal identities, taking into consideration the sectarian pattern of land ownership, the fragmentation of the physical and social fabric, and the market-led development of private property. As such it is an attempt to address a recurring question in post-conflict divided cities: How can urban design engage with sectarian border zones as dual spaces of segregation and integration to be negotiated or „fluidified‟ in response to the realities of their immediate and city-wide contexts? For theoretical and methodological insights the thesis reviews selected references on fragmented and divided cities, local case studies on the formative dynamics and planning of sectarian borders, and urban design literature, academic theses and professional reports on socio-spatial integration. Following a context appraisal of Old Saida Road and its Southern segment, the study concludes with a set of place-making revitalization strategies for enhancing the quality of streets and open spaces, improving vehicular and pedestrian accessibility, and providing a framework for private development.