Beirut’s public space (or lack thereof)


Hanin Ghaddar, NOW Staff, July 31, 2007



Institutional involvement in Beirut’s urban planning has, for decades now, been severely lacking. Because even during the post-war era, reconstruction and urbanism have frequently been taken up only by the private sector, many of the city’s public spaces have been left in a state of shameful neglect. While the private sector continues to focus on commercial and residential parts of the city, shifting priorities within the government have paralyzed institutional work on public spaces in Beirut.

The citizen, as a result, is the one who ends up paying the price. Beirutis at large have been left with little more than the sea-side Corniche, a few modest public gardens, and a small open part of the Pine Forest, which is the only large public park in Beirut. And while there are ample government plans to fix all this, the current political deadlock continues to block every effort to implement them. Or, so it seems.

Perhaps even calling these few public spaces “public” is a bit of a misnomer too. For one, many of them still fall either East or West, in a Sunni neighborhood or a Shia one – sectarian divisions in the city mean that even many of Beirut’s so-called public spaces are, in reality, only frequented by local inhabitants and their sectarian affiliates. Amal flags or a Lebanese Forces triangle painted onto a concrete wall mark out a park, for example, as anything but public.

As an essential component of the public sphere, parks and gardens are important breathing spaces for city dwellers. Or in the language of the urbanist, parks and gardens are a city’s “lungs.” Generally visited by families, couples and the elderly, these are important spaces which offer relative quiet in a city plagued by contagious and rampant honking; they are a green refuge for residents who feel trapped by the concrete exterior of their cityscape. While many Beirutis escape on weekends to the peace and quiet of their village and family land, not everyone has this opportunity, and for those who can’t get away, the occasional afternoon in the park is a psychological necessity.

Former Green Line president Salman Abbas told NOW Lebanon that Beirut’s average area of greenery per capita is 0.8 square meters. The World Health Organization, however, has set the ideal “greenery per capita” standard at 40 square meters. That’s a difference between the reality of
Beirut and a healthy standard of 5,000 percent!

Abbas, eight years ago, began an enormous campaign in which Green Line collected 16,000 signatures and received more than 12,000 emails supporting a plan to turn the 213,000 square meter Hippodrome into a public garden. But, he said, “the municipality responded by saying that there are many gardens and green spaces in Beirut, but it seems that they don’t understand the difference between a garden and a public park.”

After the Beirut Municipality promised to turn half the Hippodrome into a park, Abbas continued, “we began coordinating with the Association for the Protection and Improvement of Arab Horses (SPARCA), but we were surprised later when we discovered that the municipality had ignored the campaign and their promises by renewing a three-year agreement with the track's managers, SPARCA.” That agreement between horse racers and the municipality, Abbas explained, “entails a ceiling and not a floor for the municipality's profits, but even then the municipality's profits are much less than the track's real value [as a green space].”

Although Abbas and his co-campaigners have suggested alternative income generating projects for the municipality, including building open-air sports and recreational facilities, cafes or an experimental theater, the only response they received from the municipality was a vague assurance that the city intended to plant more trees in Beirut. “But greenery is not just trees,” Abbas explained, “Parents don’t take their children out to play in the streets. A public space means the social concept of making room for children to play outdoors and providing people a space to relax and get away from their crowded everyday life.”

Abbas, however, did concede the municipality may not actually have the authority do decide the future of the Hippodrome. Plans to preserve the racetrack, it seems, have been strongly backed by the personal interests of various politicians from the very beginning.

Beirut’s Mayor, Abdul-Munim al-Ariss, told NOW Lebanon that the municipality has no problem with it if people want to visit the Hippodrome during the day and “treat it as a public park.” “There are about 70 square meters of green areas within the Hippodrome which create a green pocket, or a lung for the city with trees and vegetation. People can go inside anytime they want, with hours similar to those assigned for other public gardens in Beirut,” Ariss explained. He also mentioned that the municipality had installed swing sets and other playground equipment for children in one section of the Hippodrome.

Maha Majdi, the head of the public gardens department of the Municipality of Beirut, told NOW Lebanon that there are 23 public gardens in the city, but only eight of them are substantial in size. These gardens cover the municipal Beirut area and have many similar functions and structures.
The Jesuit Garden in Remeil, for example, houses a public library, and the René Moawad Garden in Sanayeh is one of the oldest public open-air spaces in Beirut. It was originally called the Sanayeh Garden, but it was renamed in honor of President René Moawad after his assassination in 1989.

Sioufi Garden is a public garden in Achrafieh. The garden overlooks President Émile Lahoud Avenue, the Beirut River and the summits of Mount Lebanon.

Gibran Khalil Gibran Garden is in the downtown and faces the UN House. The garden, which is named in honor of the Lebanese-American poet and philosopher Kahlil Gibran, however, is currently occupied by opposition protestors and has been since December 2006.

Majdi mentioned that the city’s efforts are currently concentrated on a new project to plant trees on sidewalks. “We have already started planting these trees, despite the situation, and we also intend to open the rest of the Pine Forest to the public,” she said.

Ariss added that the municipality has plans to increase the size of green areas in Beirut. “We decided to purchase about 114 plots of land in order to create around 33 new public gardens to add to the 23 already existing gardens,” he said. The plan is that underneath each garden, parking facilities would be constructed for residents in the neighborhood to use. “Hence, we will be solving two problems at the same time, by providing parking facilities and green public areas in crowded neighborhoods,” he explained.

The municipality has set two standards to take into consideration while picking these lands. One is to look for crowded or overcrowded neighborhoods, and the other is to look for open or vacant lots, because they do not want to move people from their houses. “We have located almost all areas, and now we are in the process of preparing the administrative documents,” he explained.

The city, it seems, is well aware that there is a problem with the lack of public spaces in Beirut. Unfortunately, as the mayor and various other offices in the municipality have confirmed, there is very little that can be done in the immediate future. Residents and activists like Abbas, however, aren’t entirely convinced. Does parliament really have to convene for the city of Beirut to open a few new parks? Shouldn’t Beirut be able to function as an example for other municipalities in the country and demonstrate how a political deadlock in the upper echelons of the government doesn’t have to sabotage local initiatives for development?


NOW Lebanon decided to take a closer look at some of the most important public spaces in Beirut to see how they were faring in this tense political climate. What it found, however, was less then encouraging:

Two-thirds of the Pine Forest (http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=8511&MID=12&PID=2) is still closed to the public. Only those with political connections and ample wealth have been able to secure a pass from the mayor’s office to visit the greenest and most beautiful parts of the forest, but the mayor says it’s because visitors under the age of 35 tend to rough the place up.

Much of the Corniche (http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=8509&MID=12&PID=2) is in disrepair, and a class division between those who frequent expensive Nargileh cafes and those who use the Corniche to fish for their livelihood has created an uncomfortable atmosphere for many. How can the city make the Corniche a prime spot for more inclusive gatherings?

The city’s three largest public squares (http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=8514&MID=12&PID=2) – all downtown – have been overrun by protestors. All of Solidere’s plans to revamp public spaces have temporarily been paralyzed.

In fact, because the municipality has been unable to provide the city with its much needed public space, a number of private initiatives (http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=8512&MID=12&PID=2) have had to step up and do the job for them. Groups like Studio Beirut and Green Oasis are doing their best.


Source: www.nowlebanon.com

For more than 20 years, I have been thinking that the sea front land on Raoucheh between the Pigeon Rock and the Movenpick resort should be turned into a park. Furthermore, the Municipality should buy what is left form the pre-20's built houses and turn them into libraries and use their gardens as public parks. For financing, they can seek the help of the Hariris and/or generous donors from the gulf.

I remember having a conversation with my father about the lack of public parks in Beirut...that was in 1980. In 1983. I predicted that Jounieh will become a suburb of Beirut around year 2000 and that high rise buildings will be built on the mountain, my predictions unfortunately turned to be right.

I remember having a conversation with my father about the lack of public parks in Beirut...that was in 1980. In 1983. I predicted that Jounieh will become a suburb of Beirut around year 2000 and that high rise buildings will be built on the mountain, my predictions unfortunately turned to be right.

and tabarnak you were right...

the thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that even the few parks that exist are closed most of the time, and that the most important park in the city which should be the lung of that city (kind of like what central park and mont-royal are for new york and montreal); which is the "7erej bayrout" has the majority of wooded and well-mainted areas off-limits to visitors.
You can't even have a pic-nic under a tree on a lawn in this city. We should be ashamed of ourselves for calling it a "world city".

and tabarnak you were right...

the thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that even the few parks that exist are closed most of the time, and that the most important park in the city which should be the lung of that city (kind of like what central park and mont-royal are for new york and montreal); which is the "7erej bayrout" has the majority of wooded and well-mainted areas off-limits to visitors.
You can't even have a pic-nic under a tree on a lawn in this city. We should be ashamed of ourselves for calling it a "world city".

I live next to the Mont Royal Park in Montreal. Are you living in Quebec cause I recognize that tabarnak! :okay:

I think the Horch is closed to the public because newly planted tees needs time to grow. I remember the Horch before the war, it used to reach the Airport road and instead of the Airport Bridge in Bir Hassan, there was a roundabout full of pine trees. The Horch got destroyed by the Israeli army during the siege of Beirut and by urban sprawl and illegal constructions :(

For more than 20 years, I have been thinking that the sea front land on Raoucheh between the Pigeon Rock and the Movenpick resort should be turned into a park. Furthermore, the Municipality should buy what is left form the pre-20's built houses and turn them into libraries and use their gardens as public parks. For financing, they can seek the help of the Hariris and/or generous donors from the gulf.

Me too,but not for 20 years :D i've been thinking the same,,that's gonna be the Most Beautiful public park on planet earth

I would like to see Parks all over Beirut insted of Building a buidling on very single empty plot of land ! no wounder the air is soo pullouted there lack of Tree's

near the Airport if all those illgealy built buidlings didnt exist the Airport will look soo much better

Well i guess we will get at least one more major park when Solideres Landfill is complete

For more than 20 years, I have been thinking that the sea front land on Raoucheh between the Pigeon Rock and the Movenpick resort should be turned into a park. Furthermore, the Municipality should buy what is left form the pre-20's built houses and turn them into libraries and use their gardens as public parks. For financing, they can seek the help of the Hariris and/or generous donors from the gulf.

So important, Kheireddine! I think the whole area really should be a special treatment zone: the buildings overlooking the rocks should have height limitations to create some kind of uniformity - a frame and backdrop for one of the city's most stunning natural sights, rather than a massive jumble which overwhelms it. Perhaps it's too late for that, but that makes the land you speak of even more important. It could become a botanical park planted with native flora - or just left as it is.

With regard to the older houses - I know that for a time someone was working on a "building rights bank" - giving owners of protected older houses the right to sell to developers in other areas exemptions to building limits (i.e. they could sell to others the right to build an additional amount equal to what they could have built if they destroyed their preserved homes - the architectural equivalent of selling carbon credits). It would be a means of transferring the burden of preservation to the private sector - allowing both the owners of protected homes the means to gain some economic benefit from their land (after all, they should not, in theory, be penalized for not being as quick as others to destroy their historic homes!), while allowing developers the means to generate profits from the higher margin upper floors they could add - all without costing the cash-strapped municipality any money. But the law didn't go anywhere, and I haven't heard anything about it in years...

Dear Ainmreisot, we Lebanese attribute no value for our patrimony. We are constantly destroying the past and the beautiful nature of our country. All we remember is our hatred toward each other, that is why we have a civil war every 20 years.

Me too,but not for 20 years :D i've been thinking the same,,that's gonna be the Most Beautiful public park on planet earth

funnily enough, i thought about that too when i saw the area on google earth, I'm pretty sure most beirutis want that since they already use it as a park somehow. people chill out there even without any landscaping.
if properly designer, yea it DEFINATLY will be the most beautiful park on earth. omg...think of the sunset every single night!

Despite revival, old-timers say Hamra isn't what it used to be
By Mirvat Ammouri
Daily Star staff
Monday, November 05, 2007

BEIRUT: Despite the commercial renaissance taking place on and around Hamra Street, many Beirutis remain skeptical about whether the area will ever be restored to its pre-Civil War status. Lebanese who have witnessed the street's golden era, beginning in the 1960s, speak fondly of a place that represented not only the progressive ethos of Lebanon, but the finest example of multicultural pluralism in the Arab world.

"Hamra represented Leba-non and was for everyone," Monah Dabaghi, former owner of the Horseshoe Cafe which is now a Costa Cafe, told The Daily Star in a recent interview.

Dabaghi described the Hamra of old as the "Champs-Elysees of the Middle East." For him, it blended intellectualism and recreation like no other place in the region, catering to all tastes and pursuits.

For many who lived in Hamra during its heyday in the early 1970s, the street was the epicenter of a thriving city. From morning until late in the night, people roamed the area, shopping, lounging, debating and partying in its cafes, theaters, restaurants, clothing stores and night clubs.

"There was no difference between day and night," said Gazi Tabbara, owner of Baby Doll, a clothing shop operating for more than 20 years in Hamra. "It was always full and moving," he added. "And that was excellent for business."

Dabaghi's cafe, like many others on Hamra Street, attracted intellectuals, artists, activists and journalists from across the Arab world and Europe. There were many "liberals," he said, those people who are "able to create a difference in society."

Hamra quickly became a free-wheeling area of progressive thinking, an attraction for many Arab intellectuals persecuted or exiled by the region's many authoritarian regimes.

In Hamra, free thought and speech were encouraged and censorship was defied.

Banned works of art, like "Majdaloun" a play by the famous director Nidal Ashkar, were presented and performed to receptive audiences.

"Ashkar and fans of the play gathered at Horseshoe and we all watched the play without interference ... It felt good to be part of such a revolution," Dabaghi said. Back then, he added, Hamra represented a cosmopolitan society of intellectuals, artists, foreigners and tourists.

Unfortunately, Beirut's cultural hotbed could not escape the ravages of civil war. "Hamra was eaten up during the war," Dabaghi said, borrowing the words of Nazih Khater, a journalist who wrote an article titled "Horseshoe: eaten by the war."

During the war Hamra witnessed a massive demographic shift. As Lebanese and foreign intellectuals and students fled the area, rival militias quickly assumed their place.

The 1982 Israeli invasion created more trouble for the ailing district. Refugees fleeing the Israeli-occupied South moved north, and the Syrian Army established a near-ubiquitous presence. The culture of Hamra Street, once teeming with tourists, students, night clubs and theaters, was lost.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb

But, after 21 years of violent infighting, occupation and widespread destruction, a tense peace gave cause for hope for a Lebanese revival: Beirut could be rebuilt, Hamra could be reborn.

But for many, the Hamra of the 1960s and 1970s has yet to rise from the war's rubble.

One "cannot compare Hamra then to Hamra today," said Dabaghi. Today's Hamra is "just another street, which could be in any place, in any country."

For Dabaghi, it is a "nice," commercial street, with a wide variety of shops; but "it has lost its foreign touch." Like Dabaghi, those who remember the old Hamra, deny that the area is witnessing a comeback.

Mohammad Hazimi, who has sold watches on the street for the past 24 years, said, "There are other places like Hamra in most areas of Beirut."

Nostalgia aside, Hamra has undergone significant revitalization. At least five new restaurants have opened since the summer 2006 war with Israel. Places like Nando's, La Tabkha, Napoletana and Chopsticks, all of which have other branches around Beirut, have begun catering to Hamra's university students and business employees.

The March 8 opposition's protest in the Downtown area has also served Hamra's commercial renewal. "When one door closes, another opens," Tabbara said.

Roadster Diner, which opened just before the 2006 war, also has a Downtown branch which has suffered enormously since the sit-in began in December 2006. The Downtown branch, which closes at 6 p.m., depends solely on bankers and other businessmen coming for lunch, while the Hamra branch stays open late into the night.

But some residents and business owners fear that Hamra's renewal will last only as long as the sit-in paralyzes Downtown.

The manager of Roadster Diner, Hagop Bedikian told The Daily Star that "work needs to be done to keep people attracted to Hamra." He suggested festivals as a good marketing strategy for the district.

Zuhair Itani, who heads Hamra's merchants' association, said the street needs renovation, tree planting, traffic signs and street lights to attract tourists. He also requested that Sukleen reschedule its hours of garbage collection to minimize traffic jams.

Hamra has begun to recover its lost popularity and new boutiques, chain restaurants, and nightspots dot several of the cobblestoned streets. But according to some, the spirit of intellectualism and cultural exchange that once defined the area has not returned. "Those days are gone," said Tabbara.

Despite revival, old-timers say Hamra isn't what it used to be
By Mirvat Ammouri
Daily Star staff
Monday, November 05, 2007

BEIRUT: Despite the commercial renaissance taking place on and around Hamra Street, many Beirutis remain skeptical about whether the area will ever be restored to its pre-Civil War status. Lebanese who have witnessed the street's golden era, beginning in the 1960s, speak fondly of a place that represented not only the progressive ethos of Lebanon, but the finest example of multicultural pluralism in the Arab world.

"Hamra represented Leba-non and was for everyone," Monah Dabaghi, former owner of the Horseshoe Cafe which is now a Costa Cafe, told The Daily Star in a recent interview.

Dabaghi described the Hamra of old as the "Champs-Elysees of the Middle East." For him, it blended intellectualism and recreation like no other place in the region, catering to all tastes and pursuits.

For many who lived in Hamra during its heyday in the early 1970s, the street was the epicenter of a thriving city. From morning until late in the night, people roamed the area, shopping, lounging, debating and partying in its cafes, theaters, restaurants, clothing stores and night clubs.

"There was no difference between day and night," said Gazi Tabbara, owner of Baby Doll, a clothing shop operating for more than 20 years in Hamra. "It was always full and moving," he added. "And that was excellent for business."

Dabaghi's cafe, like many others on Hamra Street, attracted intellectuals, artists, activists and journalists from across the Arab world and Europe. There were many "liberals," he said, those people who are "able to create a difference in society."

Hamra quickly became a free-wheeling area of progressive thinking, an attraction for many Arab intellectuals persecuted or exiled by the region's many authoritarian regimes.

In Hamra, free thought and speech were encouraged and censorship was defied.

Banned works of art, like "Majdaloun" a play by the famous director Nidal Ashkar, were presented and performed to receptive audiences.

"Ashkar and fans of the play gathered at Horseshoe and we all watched the play without interference ... It felt good to be part of such a revolution," Dabaghi said. Back then, he added, Hamra represented a cosmopolitan society of intellectuals, artists, foreigners and tourists.

Unfortunately, Beirut's cultural hotbed could not escape the ravages of civil war. "Hamra was eaten up during the war," Dabaghi said, borrowing the words of Nazih Khater, a journalist who wrote an article titled "Horseshoe: eaten by the war."

During the war Hamra witnessed a massive demographic shift. As Lebanese and foreign intellectuals and students fled the area, rival militias quickly assumed their place.

The 1982 Israeli invasion created more trouble for the ailing district. Refugees fleeing the Israeli-occupied South moved north, and the Syrian Army established a near-ubiquitous presence. The culture of Hamra Street, once teeming with tourists, students, night clubs and theaters, was lost.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb

But, after 21 years of violent infighting, occupation and widespread destruction, a tense peace gave cause for hope for a Lebanese revival: Beirut could be rebuilt, Hamra could be reborn.

But for many, the Hamra of the 1960s and 1970s has yet to rise from the war's rubble.

One "cannot compare Hamra then to Hamra today," said Dabaghi. Today's Hamra is "just another street, which could be in any place, in any country."

For Dabaghi, it is a "nice," commercial street, with a wide variety of shops; but "it has lost its foreign touch." Like Dabaghi, those who remember the old Hamra, deny that the area is witnessing a comeback.

Mohammad Hazimi, who has sold watches on the street for the past 24 years, said, "There are other places like Hamra in most areas of Beirut."

Nostalgia aside, Hamra has undergone significant revitalization. At least five new restaurants have opened since the summer 2006 war with Israel. Places like Nando's, La Tabkha, Napoletana and Chopsticks, all of which have other branches around Beirut, have begun catering to Hamra's university students and business employees.

The March 8 opposition's protest in the Downtown area has also served Hamra's commercial renewal. "When one door closes, another opens," Tabbara said.

Roadster Diner, which opened just before the 2006 war, also has a Downtown branch which has suffered enormously since the sit-in began in December 2006. The Downtown branch, which closes at 6 p.m., depends solely on bankers and other businessmen coming for lunch, while the Hamra branch stays open late into the night.

But some residents and business owners fear that Hamra's renewal will last only as long as the sit-in paralyzes Downtown.

The manager of Roadster Diner, Hagop Bedikian told The Daily Star that "work needs to be done to keep people attracted to Hamra." He suggested festivals as a good marketing strategy for the district.

Zuhair Itani, who heads Hamra's merchants' association, said the street needs renovation, tree planting, traffic signs and street lights to attract tourists. He also requested that Sukleen reschedule its hours of garbage collection to minimize traffic jams.

Hamra has begun to recover its lost popularity and new boutiques, chain restaurants, and nightspots dot several of the cobblestoned streets. But according to some, the spirit of intellectualism and cultural exchange that once defined the area has not returned. "Those days are gone," said Tabbara.beautiful city behind all the troubles.hope beirut can move forward and shine once more.http://www.dynamics.group.shef.ac.uk/usd2007/images/winter_garden_small.jpggood luck and a happy new year to all the people of beirut from SHEFFIELD metro threads uk

Public space in Beirut would be awesome! Unfortunately, I doubt it'll happen anytime soon. The Horch is stunning but believe it or not, there are a lot of people in Beirut who have no idea it even exists! I used to sneak into the park many times and had to walk over wrappers, beer bottles, and lots of other litter. Now they sealed off all the back road entrances to the park. The thing I worry about is what will happen if they do open it to the public? Will people respect it? I see people litter right outside their own building when a trash bin is right in front of them! I wish they could open the park to everyone. Everyone deserves parks. Unfortunately, the political situation has caused many people -especially those under 35- to lose their minds (both sides) and I don't think it should be opened to the general public until people learn to respect each other and public spaces a little more. One solution I could see near term is providing incentives for building owners to turn their rooftops into community gardens for building residents. Its no park, but being 8-10 stories in the sky is just as refreshing!

^^Public awareness we r talking about here,U r absolutely right.

Welcome to the Forum :)

^Thanks. I posted once before but i guess the thread got deleted. i hope to stay around longer this time!