Ep 07 Beirut Inc. - Designing a Non-Place Through Rampant Privatization

When Beirut emerged from a brutal civil war, it was time to rebuild. Instead of rebuilding for the people, the city was, in effect, privatized, allowing rampant capitalism and cronyism to trump urbanism and the citizens. This is an urban tale about Beirut but it’s a cautionary tale about warlords wearing suits, an oligarchy and rampant developers teaming up to exploit a fragmented system after having basically designed it themselves. I interview journalist Habib Battah - one of the strongest voices in Beirut against rampant capitalism, the oligarchy and greedy developers who are intent on designing a non-place for the rich while ignoring the citizens' immediate needs.

#urbanism #cities #urbanplanning #coolville #city #urbandesign #colvilleandersen #capitalism #oligarch #beirut #lebanon #warlords #design #designthinking #architecture #architect #designer

Mikael Colville-Andersen's website: http://colville-andersen.com

(The podcast formally known as The Life-Sized City Urbanism Podcast)

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