March 20th, 2011
by FaDi
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Program on Research, Advocacy & Public Policy-Making in the Arab World
Partisan Urban Governance Restricts Access to Public Space
As well as their many ecological, environmental, and cultural advantages, green urban public spaces are the inalienable right of every citizen.
Dating back 350 years, Beirut’s unique 330,000 m2 park is part of the historical Horsh Al-Sanawbar that once measured more than 1,250,000 m2. Today the park is concealed from the lives of many Beiruti residents and visitors. Less than 20% is open to the public—with restrictions on practices—whilst over 80% is fenced off with barbed wire and can only be accessed by special permission from the Administrator of Beirut.
Read Policy Memo: English, Arabic (coming soon)
Watch Panel Discussion: English
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March 20th, 2011
by FaDi
If you are a critical urbanist, practitioner or researcher, and you believe in political engagement and alternative discourse, join fellow critical urbanists at the 2011 TINAG festival platform. DISCURSIVE FORMATIONS has participated in the 2010 TINAG festival and presented a critical reading of public space in Beirut, based on the work At the Edge of the City.
THIS IS NOT A GATEWAY (TINAG) FESTIVAL 2011
23 – 25 SEPTEMBER 2011, UCL SLADE RESEARCH CENTRE, LONDON, WC1
OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS (DEADLINE: 05 MAY 2011)
You are invited! Submissions are sought from a lived knowledge/experience perspective, as well as from the widest range of disciplines. Details
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February 18th, 2011
by FaDi
Annie Slemrod reviewed At the Edge of the City in the Daily Star saying, “Shayya’s ‘At the Edge of the City’ is an engaging multidisciplinary study of Beirut’s Pine Forest.” The article reflects on different essays in the book, complemeting here and critiquing there–an interactive form of engaging within the debate sphere on public space in Beirut.
“At the Edge of the City” encompasses so many different types of contributions that it can be tough to swallow as a whole. The best, such as linguist Fouad Asfour’s ruminations on the park in “Re: No Choice,” are thoughtful and enjoyable to read.
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One clear thread that runs through the collection is a sense of frustration and outrage at the closure of two-thirds of the park to all but a select group of citizens. This part of the park contains most of the Horsh’s green space, and is accessible only by those with a permit from the mayor’s office.
The Daily Star is the first to review the book, besides featuring it. Special thanks to Jim Quilty in this regard. You can enjoy Slemrod’s review at “Stories about the empty park.”
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