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Transformations of the Beirut River: Between Temporary and Permanent Liminality
[journal article]
Abstract This article presents the case of the Beirut River corridor in Lebanon, which defines the administrative border between the capital Beirut, its eastern and south-eastern suburbs. The Beirut River has undergone several transformations from being a lotic environment to becoming complex urban infrastru... view more
This article presents the case of the Beirut River corridor in Lebanon, which defines the administrative border between the capital Beirut, its eastern and south-eastern suburbs. The Beirut River has undergone several transformations from being a lotic environment to becoming complex urban infrastructure. This is often unnoticeable due to the scarcity of its running water and its walled existence at the edge of administrative boundaries. The separation from its riverbanks, disconnection from the urban fabric, and continuous pollution have contributed to its liminality, being simultaneously neither present nor absent. To understand this in-betweenness, the river's spatial, temporal, and social liminality are analysed by identifying major events, actors, and key urban planning interventions that impacted the river at the national, city region, and local scales. The article explores the development of the river corridor both in terms of urbanisation and population dynamics; its distinct positionality in different periods that corresponded to major events and decisions made; and the contrasting river experiences and perceptions across generations, which vary between reminiscence and aversion. By examining the various transformative processes, collective practices, perceptions, and diverse actors, the article highlights the contextual implications of this obdurate liminality, but also Beirut River's potential alternative future positionality amidst present and imminent urban challenges.... view less
Keywords
Lebanon; river; town planning; regional development; urbanization
Classification
Area Development Planning, Regional Research
Free Keywords
Beirut River; actors; border; canalisation; liminal; scale; social practices
Document language
English
Publication Year
2024
Journal
Urban Planning, 9 (2024)
Issue topic
Urban Borderlands: Difference, Inequality, and Spatio-Temporal In-Betweenness in Cities
ISSN
2183-7635
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed