One Space at a Time: A Multi-Scalar Tactical Urbanism Strategy

Abstract

In the aftermath of the civil war, Beirut experienced a surge in real estate dominance, with little emphasis on urban planning for essential public amenities, exacerbating the city's deficiency in open spaces. This oversight has particularly affected vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, intensifying the urgent need for accessible public spaces in Beirut. The lack of such spaces in Beirut has led to creative attempts at tactical urbanism (TU), with temporary urbanism (TPU) being utilized as a tool to create temporary insertions into the urban fabric ranging from art installations to public performances and placemaking initiatives, demonstrating a need for outdoor spaces for gathering and leisure. Although these interventions are often short-lived and site-specific, they serve as learning tools that can guide us toward a more inclusive and holistic vision of the city. This evident need for more accessible public spaces in Beirut, supported by the prevalence of vacant spaces in the city, presents an opportunity for more strategic TPUs and to develop long-term, formalized strategies for Beirut's neighborhoods to enhance their quality of life. I explore the potential of TU as an incremental process of city building. This thesis shifts the focus on TPU from the plot scale to the neighborhood scale to bridge the gap in knowledge on long-term programs of temporary uses. The aim is to create a system of adaptable hybrid TPUs in Beirut’s vacant spaces to support disadvantaged communities informed by a comprehensive analysis of a specific neighborhood. To illustrate this approach, I conducted an in-depth case study focusing on the nuances of everyday life in the neighborhood of Qobayat. This led to the formulation of a neighborhood strategy that combines fixed and spontaneous interventions to the available vacant spaces of Qobayat that contribute to the quality of life, complimented with an activation toolkit of TPU ideas inspired by the existing outdoor activities observed in the neighborhood. The deployment of the strategy will be demonstrated in detail at the plot scale on sections of the old railway forest and three pre-selected streets in Qobayat. Ultimately, this neighborhood will serve as a prototype with the potential for replication in other Beirut neighborhoods.