Abstract
The 4 August 2020 Port of Beirut blast caused material damage to an estimated 77,000 apartments located across 10,000 buildings within a 3 km radius of the blast, impacting around 300,000, people predominantly in the municipality of Karantina, which is situated adjacent to the Port of Beirut. The blast shed light on the instability and unsustainable development approach of the city of Beirut since well before the French mandate circa 1921–1940. The impact of the blast provides an opportunity to reassess the relationship between many relevant aspects of the city planning including but not limited to: the relationship of the city to its suburbs, waterfront, and city center; the lack of local planning and cross sectorial master plans; the preservation of the heritage versus the complexity of its urban development; the city growth and increased haphazard urbanization; the infrastructure/service systems that have over the years become increasingly deficient; the lack of public spaces; impacts on urban climate; and the urban divide and inequality that have only grown deeper since the blast, all of which have a combined and adverse impact on the quality of city life. This paper analyzes the most suitable indicators that one must highlight within the context of Beirut city to propose a better and sustainable quality of life with a focus on areas that were significantly impacted by the recent POB blast, namely Karantina. Examples of indicators which were analyzed include sustainable urban design, open spaces, heritage, infrastructure, and urban fabric. The results indicated that the following four main urban design features help improve the quality of life in Karantina, including: (i) connecting areas of Karantina and Mar Mkhael through the reactivation of vacant lots; (ii) reactivation of Ibrahim Bacha and El-Khodr Streets; (iii) redefining the historical El Khodr Mosque boundary and reclaiming its role as an urban landmark; and (iv) integration of classified built heritage. These parameters are necessary to improve the quality of life. The benefits of community participation are also assessed in the improvement and sustainable planning of the city of Beirut.
Highlights
The rapid rate of urbanization as a result of changing social, political, economic, and environmental factors has created new opportunities, along with a set of critical challenges in the development and sustainability of the city of Beirut
This paper analyzes the most suitable indicators that one must highlight within the context of Beirut city to propose a better and sustainable quality of life with a focus on areas that were significantly impacted by the recent Port of Beirut (POB) blast, namely Karantina
The results indicated that the following four main urban design features help improve the quality of life in Karantina, including: (i) connecting areas of Karantina and Mar Mkhael through the reactivation of vacant lots; (ii) reactivation of Ibrahim Bacha and El-Khodr Streets; (iii) redefining the historical
Summary
The rapid rate of urbanization as a result of changing social, political, economic, and environmental factors has created new opportunities, along with a set of critical challenges in the development and sustainability of the city of Beirut. The institutional capacity necessary to oversee the transition to sustainable urbanization is deemed lacking. These combined factors have led to the rapid influx of settlements into Karantina, the subject of this paper, resulting in its haphazard urbanization and lack of the essential sustainable elements that allow for a final strategic development plan for the city that will integrate various priority projects and actions to improve and sustain a better quality of life for inhabitants according to their needs and preferences where local stakeholders’. The recent opinion regarding the relative weight of categories is of utmost importance [1]. The recent devastating Port of Beirut (POB) blast of August 2020 has further highlighted the many devastating Port of Beirut (POB) blast of August 2020 has further highlighted the many factors that play a deteriorating role in the unsustainable state we find Karantina in today
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