Beirut: After the Dust Settles with Christele Harrouk + Salim Rouhana

"It only took a couple of seconds to destroy 40% of the city of Beirut on August 4th, 2020. A couple of trivial seconds were enough to determine the fate of the urban and social fabric of the Lebanese capital and its architectural heritage. Years and years of accumulated cultural assets fell instantly in distress, causing more harm than the infamous 15-year civil war. These seconds have erased the past, present, and destroyed future aspirations." Words taken from Christele Harrouk’s article published in ArchDaily just one month after Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, sustained two catastrophic blasts that left the north side of the city in ruins, just 6 months ago. We spoke to managing ArchDaily editor, Christele Harrouk and Salim Rouhana on their experiences of the Beirut explosions and their perspectives on what rebuilding the Lebanese capital could look like after such an unbelievable event. If there’s one thing we’ve taken away from both their powerful testimonies, it’s this bright, bold hope that seems to be rising from the dust, by way of the Lebanese people—a hope that feels very much alive.  Referenced works from Christele Harrouk, ArchDaily:  + Beirut: Between a Threatened Architectural Heritage and a Traumatized Collective Memory + The Contemporary Approach to Rebuilding Cities Post-Disaster: The Case of Beirut + Follow more of Christele's writings on ArchDaily Referenced works from Salim Rouhana, World Bank Group: + Beirut Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) — August 2020 + Lebanon Reform, Recovery & Reconstruction Framework (3RF) Design and the City, is a podcast produced by reSITE about the ways we can use design to make cities more livable and lovable. reSITE is a global non-profit and platform connecting people and ideas to improve the urban environment. We work at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, politics, culture, and economics, acting as a catalyst for social action and innovative leadership. We encourage the exchange of ideas about making cities more livable, competitive, resilient, inclusive, mobile, and designed with humans in mind to protect and public space, architecture, and sustainable development in cities. Learn more www.reSITE.org + More about upcoming podcasts from reSITE Join reSITE's Newsletter Connect with us: + Follow reSITE on Facebook + Follow reSITE on Instagram + Follow reSITE on Twitter + Follow reSITE on LinkedIn + Watch reSITE talks on YouTube This podcast was produced by Alexandra Siebenthal, with support from Martin Barry, Radka Ondrackova, Elizabeth Mills, and Elizabeth Novacek It is recorded at WeWork Prague, with the support of the Prague Ministry of Culture as well as Nano Energies, and edited by LittleBig Studio.  

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"Design and the City" is published by reSITE, a global nonprofit acting to improve the urban environment, about the ways we can use design to make cities more livable and lovable. Cities are the sum of designers, developers, artists, citizens, public officials, entrepreneurs, and the displaced, but rarely do each of these constituencies gather in the same room, let alone speak the same language, and cities suffer for it. reSITE is literally that room. In order to create a city that is truly for everyone, we need to have conversations on how to design and build cities with humans in mind.