ABSTRACT
Human flows and the scene of people seeking refuge is no longer a characteristic of the Global South. Similarly, marginal neighbourhoods with poor urban environments, scarce public spaces and vulnerable populations characterise cities worldwide. This chapter examines the participatory public space design process initiated by UN-Habitat in one neighbourhood in Nabaa’, Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon. The process engaged the municipality, locals and refugees in building social cohesion in stages, starting with empowering and tapping on local knowledge, establishing communication and social links, and affecting a broader area through a nodal space, which intertwines parallel lives into shared everyday activities.
