While this blog is an attempt to chronicle day to day encounters in Kuwait, I just might have to highlight issues taking place in other cities as well. Particularly when those issues revolve around architecture and city branding (personal interests).
Below is a link to a video about Beirut's city center, posted on the international edition of CNN online, and although it's a month old I still think it's pretty relevant considering the continuous urban development taking place in the Middle East (Kuwait most definitely included). Overall, the key issues it highlights as taking place in Lebanon can also be seen in Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf, where investments in massive development projects are used to promote positive urban imagery.
What interests me is how city planners and developers in Lebanon are using the 'rebirth' of downtown Beirut as a medium to signify that the country is definitely bouncing back despite any existing political/social turmoil. Interestingly enough, city leaders and developers often use the city image to mask the political and social conflicts taking place, whatever they may be. At minute 1:39 in the video, a large banner can be seen quoting the financial times with "Beirut is Back : visitors are flocking again to Lebanon".
In some ways, large-scale developments that are sprawling across the Middle East and signifying financial prosperity might actually be pointing to deficits taking place on other levels (i.e. social, cultural, political).
http://www.edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2011/08/01/future.cities.beirut.reborn.cnn?iref=allsearch
Below is a link to a video about Beirut's city center, posted on the international edition of CNN online, and although it's a month old I still think it's pretty relevant considering the continuous urban development taking place in the Middle East (Kuwait most definitely included). Overall, the key issues it highlights as taking place in Lebanon can also be seen in Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf, where investments in massive development projects are used to promote positive urban imagery.
What interests me is how city planners and developers in Lebanon are using the 'rebirth' of downtown Beirut as a medium to signify that the country is definitely bouncing back despite any existing political/social turmoil. Interestingly enough, city leaders and developers often use the city image to mask the political and social conflicts taking place, whatever they may be. At minute 1:39 in the video, a large banner can be seen quoting the financial times with "Beirut is Back : visitors are flocking again to Lebanon".
In some ways, large-scale developments that are sprawling across the Middle East and signifying financial prosperity might actually be pointing to deficits taking place on other levels (i.e. social, cultural, political).
http://www.edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2011/08/01/future.cities.beirut.reborn.cnn?iref=allsearch
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