Transformative lines: a mapping approach to explore urban imaginaries and opportunities for socially sustainable change in Beirut, Lebanon
type: CreativeWork
description: Beirut, Lebanon, is a city shaped by complex socio-political histories, shifting socio-economic conditions, and continuous physical and institutional transformation. Within this context, persistent disconnections often exist between formal urban development initiatives and the lived realities and aspirations of local communities, particularly those who may be considered marginalised residents. This thesis develops and tests a place-based mapping methodology – Transformative Lines – to explore how residents’ spatial narratives and urban imaginaries can inform more socially sustainable urban development strategies. The research adopts a qualitative case study approach focused on two neighbourhoods in Beirut: Sabra and Karantina. Fieldwork was conducted in 2023, and comprised architectural surveys and participatory mapping workshops, including sessions with children aged 6–12, which contributed situated perspectives often absent from urban research and planning processes. These methods generated two complementary datasets: 1) the Architectural Data Collection (ADC), documenting spatial, topographical, and infrastructural conditions; 2) the Collaborative Data Collection (CDC), capturing everyday experiences, narratives, and spatial imaginaries articulated through participatory mapping. Together, these methods constitute a dual data collection approach for the methodology that integrates architectural analysis with participatory mapping. Through cross-analysis of these datasets, the research develops a mapping framework structured around two analytical categories: Physical Lines, representing material, spatial structures; Intangible Lines, representing social relations, movement patterns, and lived narratives embedded within the urban environment. The intersections of these two categories are defined as Transformative Junctions, which function as analytical devices to identify and analyse critical points where spatial conditions and lived experiences converge. These junc…
abstract: Beirut, Lebanon, is a city shaped by complex socio-political histories, shifting socio-economic conditions, and continuous physical and institutional transformation. Within this context, persistent disconnections often exist between formal urban development initiatives and the lived realities and aspirations of local communities, particularly those who may be considered marginalised residents. This thesis develops and tests a place-based mapping methodology – Transformative Lines – to explore how residents’ spatial narratives and urban imaginaries can inform more socially sustainable urban development strategies. The research adopts a qualitative case study approach focused on two neighbourhoods in Beirut: Sabra and Karantina. Fieldwork was conducted in 2023, and comprised architectural surveys and participatory mapping workshops, including sessions with children aged 6–12, which contributed situated perspectives often absent from urban research and planning processes. These methods generated two complementary datasets: 1) the Architectural Data Collection (ADC), documenting spatial, topographical, and infrastructural conditions; 2) the Collaborative Data Collection (CDC), capturing everyday experiences, narratives, and spatial imaginaries articulated through participatory mapping. Together, these methods constitute a dual data collection approach for the methodology that integrates architectural analysis with participatory mapping. Through cross-analysis of these datasets, the research develops a mapping framework structured around two analytical categories: Physical Lines, representing material, spatial structures; Intangible Lines, representing social relations, movement patterns, and lived narratives embedded within the urban environment. The intersections of these two categories are defined as Transformative Junctions, which function as analytical devices to identify and analyse critical points where spatial conditions and lived experiences converge. These junc…
author: Houssami, Hosn
keywords: 720 Architecture
date published: 2025-08
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:54:49Z
provider: London Metropolitan University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: London Metropolitan University