Localising the Global: Landscape Architecture and Post-War Recovery in South Lebanon

Abstract

The scale of devastation following the July 2006 war in Lebanon resulted in a rush of international aid to address immediate needs and secure funding for reconstruction, while nationally, architects, urban designers and planners, among many others, volunteered to reclaim shelter and rebuild settlements. This paper investigates whether and in what ways landscape architecture, an emerging profession in Lebanon, can play a role in post-war recovery. A senior design studio project in the war-devastated village of El Qlaile in South Lebanon serves as a case study to elaborate method and outcome. Landscape architects, the case study demonstrates, are likely to contribute recovery narratives that integrate social, economic and environmental objectives and respond to place and everyday living needs and aspirations of local communities in rural Lebanon. The multifunctional community landscapes proposed prioritise livelihoods, valorise rural heritage and reaffirm village identity and pride in place. This in turn enables the local community to negotiate recovery priorities and offer their own agenda for future development.