The devastating Beirut Port explosion on August 4th, 2020, instigated the necessity for an integrated vision for reconstruction, heritage rehabilitation, and the protection of the social fabric and urban identity. Beirut Urban Declaration, with the participation of the Order of Engineers and Architects in Beirut, Architecture schools in Lebanon, the Chadirji Foundation for Architecture and Society, the Architects Association, and the Urban Planning Association, represents a summary of intellectual and cultural contributions to the preparation of a comprehensive national vision, and serves as a starting point for reshaping and reintegrating the components of the city.
In line with our efforts to map the threats, opportunities, and future directions of the cultural heritage sector in Lebanon, and reposition the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) as a possibility for responding contextually, British Council Lebanon has supported the printing and publishing of 100 copies of ‘Beirut Urban Declaration’ and has rendered the complete digital version publicly accessible through the downloads section below. The publication serves as a reference for future heritage initiatives, documenting concerns, providing ideas, feasible suggestions, and visionary and operational directions for the Lebanese society and its administrations.
The book is edited by Dr Rana Dubeissy, Dr Maroun el Daccache, Dr Habib Sadek