If you travel in most parts of Lebanon you notice buildings everywhere with what appears to be very little planning. There appears to be no height limits and buildings rarely respect any esthetic standard. This is clearly visible in Beirut, especially in the southern suburbs, but also in the countryside. People seem to build where it pleases them, along roadsides even outside towns; on top of a mountain top.
What is also remarkable is the amount of new construction that is going up in this vain and often with an old abandoned building right next to it. So, rather than repair the old building which simply lies empty, developers are pouring money into new construction without any thought to how their work will impact the community at large.
The question of course is, are there no laws? There are. All construction permits must first be approved by the Department of Town Planning, before they go to the municipality for approval. The problem however is two-fold:
- Poor implementation of planning guidelines
- Inadequate planning guidelines
The first is that existing regulations are being flaunted largely by corruption. You pay the right amount and your plans get the right attention and care. Also having the right connections can help ensure your construction permits is approved regardless of what you are building.
The second issue and more important one is that town planning guidelines are not sufficient for the task. They are in most cases based on outdated practices and economic projections. They need to be updated and this goes for Beirut as well as the towns.
Well, I am doing a reseaarch about this specific subject: the Urban condensation of Beirut and the lack of planning. I was wondering if you might have some concrete propositions for how we can reuse old buildings or for amelioration the urban planning of Beirut.
Thank you