Privatized urbanity or a politicized society? Reconstruction in Beirut after the civil war

Abstract

After 16 years of civil war in Lebanon, with massive destruction and, in the end, a fragmented society, the reconstruction of Beirut has been very difficult, with the marginalized state stepping back early on in favour of a private reconstruction under the leadership of the businessman and later Prime Minister Hariri. For the successful implementation of the reconstruction Hariri established a private real estate company that not only expropriated the former tenants and owners, but also evacuated the refugees who had occupied properties in the deserted city centre. The reconstruction of Beirut is characterized by the exclusion of most of the protagonists involved. Tenants, owners, and refugees, but also the former elites from politics, science and society were replaced by a group of newcomers, war-profiteers and investors. The decision-making therefore was strongly profit-orientated and often took place behind closed doors. In Beirut a radical new concept of urban development and urban governance has been implemented that led to a “privatization of the urban”. Due to the profit orientation and the exclusion of the protagonists involved, the reconstruction of Beirut's downtown triggered a highly controversial public debate and resulted in a substantial “political mobilization” of Lebanese society. For the first time after the civil war, Lebanese society dared to speak up and publicly comment on the reconstruction. The political mobilization of the society was accompanied by a subsequent “medialization” of the conflict: The struggle over the reconstruction was negotiated to a large part through the media where initiators and critics tried to promote their strategic visions for the reconstruction. Regarding a New Urban Governance, post-war urban development in Beirut was realized mainly within a framework of democratic society. Nevertheless the process of reconstruction is characterized by an exclusion of most of the protagonists involved and by a strong market orientation which often disregarded public interests.