Programs and precedents : future prospects of housing theory and practice in Lebanon

Abstract

The object of this study is two-fold. The first is to critically understand the limits of a given set of housing principles within the exigencies of a specific context, that of Greater Beirut, Lebanon, a site of rapid physical and social urbanization that is literally devouring the small country. The second is to broaden the range of housing options in that context, ones that have not yet been considered, possibly for political, institutional, economic, and/or practical reasons. Some recent changes in the war-torn country might rightly prompt the consideration of previously untapped options. The housing options in question- formal public housing, community-based Supports, and combined squatter upgrading and Sites & Services- are brought into comparison through three relatively successful demonstration projects in other developing countries. While realizing that models cannot be replicated across cultural boundaries, piecemeal lessons can be learnt, and ideas can be appropriated, in the context of local norms, procedures, physical constraints, and broader urbanization issues.