Title: Limited Public Spaces in Lebanon Amplify the Struggle for Equality
Subtitle: Economic crisis and political corruption contribute to the closure and privatization of public spaces
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BEIRUT — The scarcity of public spaces in Lebanon has become a pressing issue as the country battles an economic crisis and enduring political corruption. In impoverished neighborhoods like Karantina, the closure of parks and limited access to open spaces have taken a toll on the well-being of its residents.
Two children in Karantina recently had to scale a utility pole and jump over a spiked iron fence just to reach a closed park, highlighting the desperation felt by those lacking recreational areas. This predicament is not unique to Karantina but prevails across Lebanon, where flourishing open spaces are often off-limits or reserved for those who can afford it.
Maggie Najem, a local resident in northern Lebanon, lamented the scarcity of public spaces, stating, “There are barely any public spaces in Lebanon. Public gardens are often closed, and most places either are privately owned or require permits to enter.” The decline of public spaces in Lebanon reflects the country’s growing inequality and the pervasive influence of private interests, further exacerbated by political corruption.
Communities have resorted to makeshift solutions, such as converting parking lots into playgrounds, to address the lack of recreational areas. However, these improvised spaces often have a short life as property owners eventually reclaim the areas for development, causing children to lose their play spaces.
According to Mohammad Ayoub, head of the public space advocacy group Nahnoo, the situation has remained stagnant since the 1990s, when he and his peers played in vacant lots before they were transformed into parking lots. He attributes the lack of progress to policymakers’ disregard for public services and investment in parks unless it involves constructing parking lots beneath them.
A study conducted by Adib Haydar, a professor at Lebanese University, revealed that Beirut has an excess of parking spaces, with 26 square feet allocated per person, compared to only 8.6 square feet of green space. This falls significantly below the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 97 square feet of green space per person.
Activists have taken matters into their own hands, attempting to protect public spaces from being encroached upon by private interests. For instance, after a brewery site in Mar Mikhael was demolished, the group GroBeirut transformed the vacant lot into Laziza Park, complete with trees, bushes, and benches. However, the owners of the lot recently launched a lawsuit to evict the park’s caretakers and permanently close it.
Similar struggles persist along Lebanon’s coastline, where approximately 80 percent of nominally public land has been illicitly privatized by beach clubs and resorts. The illegal construction and attempted seizure of public spaces are ongoing threats that activists continuously combat.
Aside from closures and privatization, prejudice often influences debates on who should have access to public spaces. In one example, footage of Syrian children swimming in a downtown Beirut reflecting pool triggered a wave of racist invective against Syrian refugees, leading city officials to drain the pool.
The battle for public spaces is emblematic of wider societal struggles in Lebanon, pitting a weary public against influential private interests. Nadine Khayat, a professor of landscape architecture, believes that public spaces play a crucial role in fostering unity, stating, “The more you bring different people together, the more they are going to recognize the humanity in each other, the more we have a cohesive society.”
As Lebanon navigates its future, addressing the dearth of public spaces and preserving existing ones will be central to fostering equality and inclusivity in the country.
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