For a city to be truly shared, it should aim to cultivate social cohesion amongst its various communities. Thus, it cannot neglect the issue of spatial segregation, but should, instead, encourage community members to willingly and freely cooperate and engage with one another, in spite of their differences, in order to achieve a sense of unity and belonging. However, there are cities that have, throughout history, witnessed daily practices of segregation and the spatialization of identities - which has led to the creation of divorced societies. Reinforcing the idea of identities and belonging to a certain community that should not engage with ‘others,’ has resulted in the creation of ‘imagined’ boundaries. Those boundaries, which spatially and distinctly exist in the deeply divided and territorialized city of Beirut, inhibit exchange and render its societies disengaged and divorced from each other.
This research conceptualizes the aforementioned problem. It uses literature to outline the importance of cultivating social cohesion and how urban acupuncture can be used in nudging those divides through the implementation of design interventions within the city. It also draws out the required conditions for the application of this approach. As for case study reviews, they display the impact of providing multiple socially-engaging urban platforms.Through the amalgamation of academic literature and case study reviews, a practical toolkit, which puts forth design principles that aid in cultivating social cohesion, is proposed for nudging those notions of physical and 'imagined' boundaries that have taken on a spatial form. It is carried out on a network of spaces in the neighborhood of Bachoura, Beirut, to respond to the critical problem that has been fortified over the years. Design principles include creating shared spaces, fostering shared activities, promoting co-design, nudging common perceptions and overcoming physical barriers. In addition to the aforementioned, this thesis exemplifies how the practice of urban design can participate in cultural conflict resolution through the injection of inclusive and collaborative spaces within cities.
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