Framing alternative urban spaces in unstable contexts: A view from Beirut

The security of urban spaces is jeopardised, and their social practices emerge elsewhere, for example, in commodified, temporary, or alternative spaces. This chapter explores the role of alternative spaces in unstable contexts. Unstable contexts are characterised by unpredictability and the loss of urban rhythms. Despite interruptions to the daily routine of urban living, collective needs still have to be met, one being the provision of urban spaces for encounters. The chapter presents one approach leading to re-signifying urban spaces into alternative spaces that secure encounters within unstable contexts. Focusing on Beirut, the medieval city’s public spaces included markets and water fountains as gathering spaces, which were eradicated with the modernisation introduced by the consecutive Ottoman and French planning authorities. In terms of re-signifying spaces, and depending on the location, the organisers always arranged the space to allow for gathering, and sought in a context its natural and cultural heritage traits, along with what the local people could offer.