ABSTRACT
The development of Beirut as a metropole can be seen as representing the territorial form of globalization. After a long civil war Beirut today is being rebuilt as a metropolitan hub for the Near East, which is expected to reinsert Beirut in regional and global economic systems. The reconstruction of the city is taking place in an environment with little social cohesiveness. The "demetropolitanization" of Beirut in the 1980s, when the city lost its regional status, corresponds to the most important division of the city. But decisions about the rebuilding process and the formulation of urban and regional policies are made at the national level, as are policies governing specific zones or sectors. A short and static analysis of the current economic situation could cast doubt on the likelihood that Beirut will attain the regional role to which it aspires. However, Beirut's development depends in large part on regional development capabilities, currently stymied by deep political crises.
