Thesis (M.F.A.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 198-201).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 198-201).

Since post-war reconstruction, Beirut has been experiencing a building boom, which spreadrapidly outward from the city's historic and war-torn centre to the rest of the Lebanese capital. In the process, old houses and buildings have been systematically demolished to make space forlarge towers, excluding much of the urban population. State policies and market forcesconverge to make real estate a pillar of the neoliberal economy, while offering no housing,social or economic policies to redress its gentrifying effects. This thesis scopes the conditions thatproduce decayed residences since the mid-1990s. It asks: What have these circumstancesprompted urban dwellers to do with their houses in decay? How are dwellers in differentpositions of entitlement to property differently enabled to respond to decay and impendingrenewal, in the quest for continued dwelling in the city? What sentiments and strategiesemerge from this interplay? And how have social relationships and notions of dwelling, and ofdecay been reconfigured in the process? From fieldwork among downwardly mobile tenantsand landowners, urban practitioners and a cultural collective in neighbourhoods where urbanrenewal is approaching, I propose, "institutionalised neglect" as a concept to capture thecircumstances that expedite the decay of old houses. I argue that this neglect keeps landavailable for real estate profit making while making urban renewal inevitable. In chaptersthat deal with inheritance, eviction, material decay, nostalgia and the exceptional conditionsof a commoning experiment, I reveal that dwellers' sensibilities are oriented towards prolongeddwelling close to the city centre, whether by endurance of the neoliberal building regime orattempts to extract gains from its straining conditions.

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Située sur la rive Est de la mer méditerranéenne, la région de Beyrouth est soumise aux brises de mer et de terre en période estivale. En présence de ces circulations, la pollution atmosphérique devient complexe en raison des interrelations entre les phénomènes se produisant à plusieurs niveaux scalaires. Notre étude s'est appuyée sur des documents et données existant (dans le service de météorologie de l'aéroport de Beyrouth) et de notre propre base de données issues de nos propre campagnes de mesures. Les bases théoriques de ces types de circulation et la diversité géographique de notre milieu d'étude étaient l'objet de la première partie. La deuxième partie présente la démarche adoptée pour prendre en compte la relation entre l'atmosphère, les brises, la pollution et le milieu. Une troisième partie analyse les conditions favorables à l'apparition des brises aux échelles synoptique et régionale. Et une quatrième partie traite les variabilités spatio-temporelles des brises en relation avec la topographie et l'occupation du sol et leurs incidences sur le transport etles concentrations des polluants aux échelles fines. / Situated on the East the Mediterranean Sea, the region of Beirut is subjected to the sea and land breezes in summer. In the presence of these circulations, the atmospheric pollution becomes complex because of the interrelations between the phenomena occurring at several scalar levels. We used existing documents in our study and existing data (in the service department of meteorology of the airport of Beirut) and of our own base of data acquired during previous campaigns of measures.The theoretical bases of these types of circulation and the geographical diversity of our environment were the object of the first part. The second part presents the approach adopted to account the relation between the atmosphere, the breezes, the pollution and the environment. The third part analyzes the favorable conditions for the appearance of the breezes on synoptic and regional scales. And the fourth part treats the variability in space and in time of the breezes in relation of the topography and the land-use as well as their incidences on the pollutants concentrations and transportation on micro local scale.

Global humanitarian standards increasingly call for greater refugee participation in the decisions that affect refugees’ lives, with the dual aim of developing more equitable relations with refugees (transformative participation) and improving the effectiveness of aid interventions (instrumental participation). However, the limited research available suggests past approaches to refugee participation have habitually failed to meaningfully include refugees in the decision-making processes of humanitarian programs and policies. Rather, humanitarian organizations are criticized for paying lip service to refugee participation while maintaining control over important decisions and, thus, their power in relation to refugees. Though this issue has long been recognized as problematic, few studies have tried to understand and explain why efforts to implement meaningful refugee participation continuously fail to achieve this concept’s empowering and transformative objectives. The following dissertation responds to this query through an in-depth case study of refugee participation in the context of Beirut, Lebanon with the objective of understanding: how urban refugees are able to participate in decision-making processes of the humanitarian interventions that impact their lives; what barriers exist that impede their participation; why these barriers endure; and what the consequences of a lack of meaningful refugee participation are to refugees and to the wider humanitarian response. I answer these questions by drawing on semi-structured, qualitative interviews with a diverse group of refugee participants (44 interviews) and humanitarian organizational participants (42 interviews). This data is triangulated by comparing and testing the information received from interview participants with each other and against documentary evidence, such as government and NGO policy documents and reports, quantitative studies, newspaper articles, field notes, and academic studies. My analysis is further strengthened by a conceptual framework built on three approaches: the concept of meaningful participation and what this really entails; a Foucauldian concept of power to explain how discourses of power/knowledge shape and produce the relations between refugees and humanitarian organizations; and the Capabilities Approach as a comprehensive framework that can strengthen and guide participatory processes to ensure they maintain their transformative objectives. Relying on the perspectives of both humanitarian organizations and refugees, my research reveals conflicting understandings of what refugee participation means to these groups. Most humanitarian organizations view their efforts as generally successful and think that they listen to refugees. In contrast, refugees feel that their voices are frequently dismissed or ignored, particularly when their requests fail to match up with what organizations have already decided. This failure to listen to refugees’ voices and what they see as important creates a continuous gap between how humanitarian organizations, the Government of Lebanon, and refugees frame the problems at hand and the solutions to address these problems. In turn, this gap limits the impact of humanitarian efforts that aim to ‘protect’ refugees–in the fullest sense of this word–as refugees’ real needs go unmet. This forces refugees to respond in the few ways open to them, by resisting, manipulating, or avoiding humanitarian interventions all together, further undermining the effectiveness of these interventions. It is often implicitly assumed that refugee participation will naturally lead to its intended outcomes of greater program effectiveness and more equitable power relations between refugees and humanitarian organizations. However, this thesis demonstrates that neither of these objectives can take place unless refugees have influence and control over the decisions that affect them. Building on these findings, I offer a number of concrete recommendations to address the barriers identified in the research and help make meaningful refugee participation a reality.

This thesis endeavors to comprehensively examine and elucidate the factors and challenges that have shaped the city of Beirut, Lebanon into its current state. Extensive research has shed light on numerous incidents, which can be regarded as defining moments that have imbued the city with its distinct character and identity. Among these events, the pivotal occurrence that triggered the ongoing turmoil within Beirut is the catastrophic Beirut Blast of August 4th, 2020. This incident serves as the focal point of the thesis, aiming to foster unity while embracing the city's authenticity and showcasing the visible wounds through architectural expressions. It represents a conscious acknowledgment of the past as a means to propel transformation and shape the future. The thesis project presents seven distinct scenarios, each encapsulating a significant dichotomy in Beirut's history and its enduring impact on the city's present. The objective is to cultivate a considerate architecture that not only serves the needs of the population but also respects and nurtures the surrounding natural environment. By revitalizing and promoting biodiversity in both aquatic and terrestrial realms, an attempt is made to establish a dialogue between the city and the site of the catastrophe. This dialogue serves as a platform for reconciliation, paving the way for Lebanon's long-term welfare. The envisioned spaces encompass public areas, educational facilities, and spaces for healing, effectively becoming sanctuaries that hold multifaceted significance. These architectural interventions aspire to provide value that extends beyond mere physical structures, enhancing the overall fabric of the city. / Master of Architecture / In this research project, I aim to explore the factors and challenges that have shaped Beirut, Lebanon into its current state, with a focus on the city's unique identity. I have conducted extensive research, uncovering significant events that have influenced the city's character. Among these, the Beirut Blast of August 4th, 2020, stands out as a pivotal moment that triggered ongoing turmoil. The thesis aims to bring people together while embracing Beirut's authenticity and showcasing the visible scars through architectural expressions. Through the project, I present seven scenarios that represent important dichotomies in Beirut's history and their lasting impact on the city today. The goal is to create thoughtful architecture that not only meets the needs of the population but also respects and nurtures the natural environment. By revitalizing and promoting biodiversity in both land and water, I seek to establish a dialogue between the city and the blast site. This dialogue serves as a platform for reconciliation and contributes to Lebanon's long-term well-being. The envisioned spaces include public areas, educational facilities, and healing spaces, serving as sanctuaries with multiple layers of significance. These architectural interventions aim to go beyond physical structures and enrich the fabric of the city, providing value and enhancing the overall experience for its residents and visitors.

This dissertation examines the memory of Ras Beirut and the various claims to its exceptionalism. I frame its history as a landscape of memory born of the convergence of narratives of exceptionalism. On the one hand, Ras Beirut's landscape inspired Anglo-American missionary future providence such that they chose it as the site of their college on a hill, the Syrian Protestant College (SPC, later renamed the American University of Beirut [AUB]). On the other hand, the memory of Ras Beirut's "golden age" before the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 inspired longings for a vanished past to Ras Beirut's oldest inhabitants. Shaped by the push of prospect and the pull of recollection, Ras Beirut emerges as a place formed out of the contest of these overlapping articulations of exceptionalism. Moreover, Ras Beirut's narratives have a wider significance and application in their transnational and interconfessional relevance. The missionary New England microcosm of the SPC represented the transnational transposition of memory onto Ras Beirut in an architectural narrative of exceptionalism. The monumental size and scale of their buildings oriented Ras Beirut and realized a "city upon a hill." Drawing from letters written to and from the US, I examine their ambiguous relationship to Ras Beirut that made them both part of the place and apart from the people. At the same time, the local Muslim-Christian community of Ras Beirut argued that Ras Beirut's distinct character rested on their own history of harmonious coexistence. In the early twentieth century, Arab Protestant converts settled in Ras Beirut and became known as the Protestants of Ras Beirut in their affixed identity and collective rootedness to place. This dissertation draws upon archival research and tangible sources in the changing architectural and urban environment. It also relies on oral history and memory to capture the multi-disciplinary making of place that best relates the textured history of Ras Beirut while giving meaning to everyday lived lives. In the process, the connections between the Middle East and the US unfold in transnational terms while the idea of Ras Beirut as a paradigm of coexistence unfolds interconfessional terms.

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