URBAN OBSERVATION ZOKAK EL BLAT -

Academic Urban Observatory Institute of Urban Planning October 2012 Written by Rita E. Chedid Collaborators Marieke Krijnen Bruno Marot Hala Moussawi Jean-Marc Adjizian

Cartography Vicken Ashkarian Directed by Serge Yazigi

Acknowledgement Jennifer Casagrande PHD Student

Architecture Students (ALBA) for their contribution to Architectural and Economic Activities Surveys Jamayla Cahaccour Claudia Sadaka Eliane Daccache Lena Osseiran Racha Hajj Chahine Christelle Khalil Mohammad Ajam Wael Hajj TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION 5 1. THE CHOICE OF THE STUDY AREA 6 2. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH 7

CHAPTER I: CASE STUDY 8 1. ZOKAK EL BLAT URBAN DEVELOPMENT 9 2. THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF ZOKAK EL BLAT 10 3. INSTITUTIONAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 16 3.1. Land Use And Exploitation 16 3.2. Laws Pertaining To Built Heritage 17 3.2.1. The Ottoman Period 17 3.2.2. The French Mandate: The Antiquities Regulation 17 3.2.3. The Urban Planning Law 17 3.2.4. The Building Law 17 3.3. Studies On The Protection Of Historical Buildings In Beirut Pericentral Areas 18 3.3.1. “Association De Protection Et De Sauvegarde Des Anciennes Demeures” (Apsad) Study 18 3.3.2. The Directorate General Of Urban Planning (Dgup) Study 19 3.3.3. The Khatib & Alami Study 20 4. DRAFT LAW FOR THE PROTECTION AND SAFEGUARD OF OLD BUILDINGS AND PATRIMONIAL SITES 21

CHAPTER 2: DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY 22 1. STUDY OBJECTIVES 22 2. STUDY FRAMEWORK 22 3. DATA COLLECTION SOURCES AND FORMS 25 4. DATA SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED 25 5. DATA PARTIALLY OBTAINED, ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES 25 6. DROPPED INDICATORS 26 7. CONCLUSION: MAIN ISSUES AT STAKE IN DATA COLLECTING PROCESSES IN LEBANON 26 7.1. Lack Of (Reliable) Statistical Data 26 7.2. Unwillingness Of Public Officials And Institutions To Collaborate 26 7.3. Unwillingness Of Private Officials In Institutions To Collaborate 26 7.4. Time Loss In Taking Appointments 26 7.5. Informal Contacts And Snowball-Effect 26

CHAPTER 3: SURVEY RESULTS 27 1. THE URBAN DIMENSION 27 1.1. Road Network 29 1.1.1. The Roads 29 1.2. Blocks And Parcels 29 1.2.1. The Disappearance Of Empty Lots 31 1.2.2 Residual Lots 32 1.3. Buildings 34 1.3.1. Occupation/Built-Up Area 34 1.3.2. Age 37 1.3.3. Typology 38 1.3.4. Use 39 1.3.5. State 40 1.3.6. Heights 41 1.3.7. Façade Materials 43 1.4. Demolition Of Listed Building 44 1.5. State Of Heritage And Classified Buildings 45 1.6 Skyline 46 1.7. Infrastructure And Services 47 1.7.1. Public Equipments 47 1.7.2. Upgrading of Public Services 48 1.7.3. Parking Facilities 49 1.8. Real Estate And Land Market 50 1.8.1. Real-Estate Transactions Between 2005 - 2011 50 1.8.2. Construction Permits 53 1.9. Real Estate And Land Market 57 1.9.1. New Projects Survey 57 1.9.2. Real Estate Land Prices 61 1.9.3. Speculation Process In Zokak El Blat 62 2. THE SOCIAL DIMENSION 63 2.1. Zokak El Blat Social Fabric Evolution 63 2.2. Confessional Distribution 63 2.3. The Shiite And Sunnite Competitiveness On Territorial Appropriation 66 2.4. Worship Places 66 2.5. Cultural Function 67 2.5.1. Academic Institutions 67 3. THE ECONOMIC DIMENSION 68 3.1. Economic Units Occupation 69 3.1.1 Occupation Status 69 3.1.2. Legal Status 70 3.1.3. Property Type 71 3.1.4. Rent Type 72 3.2. Economic Units Categories Of Activities 73 3.2.1. Economic Units Functions 73 3.2.2. Categories Of Economic Activities 75 3.3. Characteristics Of Economic Activities 76 3.3.1. Economic Units Surface 76 3.3.2. Economic Units State 77 3.4. Labor Market 78 3.4.1. Employment Rate 78 3.4.2. Size Of Businesses 78 3.4.3. Labor Force Gender And Age Distribution 79 3.4.5. Labor Force Confessional Distribution 80 3.4.6. Labor Force Education Level 80 3.4.7. Labor Force Place Of Residence 80 3.4.8. Labor Force Place Of Birth 81 3.5. Zokak El Blat’s Market Customers 82 3.5.1. Customers’ Origin 82 3.5.2. Price Categories 83

CHAPTER 4: SYNTHESIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 85 1. GENTRIFICATION 85 1.1. Gentr