Urban Vacant Land as a Green Infrastructure: The Case of Antelias River, Lebanon

Abstract

In recent literature of contemporary urban spaces, attention has been paid to cities’ urban vacant lands, which have been studied and proven to have public value and possess social, ecological, and economic potential (Kim, 2016). Cities across the world have attempted to strategically reimagine and reuse these spaces to enhance the quality of life of their communities, specifically under the framework and principles of green infrastructure. Many gaps exist in the analysis of these fundamental spaces as well as the application of the green infrastructure framework, especially within the Lebanese planning context. The chosen case study for literature application and spatial intervention is the Antelias River, the central spine of the town of Antelias. Known previously as a space that connected communities with the town’s landscapes and heritage, the Antelias River currently suffers from continuous urbanization pressures, resulting in environmental degradation, landscape fragmentation, and loss of sense of place. Tying into that, a series of planning interventions and left-behind agro-economic practices have preserved a number of lands vacant, idle, and unused. As Antelias has little to no public space, these lands hold an emerging potential to be reimagined and to tie into a network that regenerates the river, reclaims its direct surroundings, and restores its functions. Therefore, this thesis is centered on attempting to fill the gap by understanding the various processes that lead to the presence of urban vacant lands as well as investigating their potential to be repurposed to create a green infrastructure network. The design of the vacant lots aims to support the natural and cultural heritage along the river, in addition to developing a system of open spaces across the city.