This book explores the challenges facing landscape architecture in the Middle East. It supports the idea that landscape is a multifaceted idea, and examines landscapes architecture as an emerging profession in the region. The book also responds to the limitations of faulty translations of the English ‘landscape’ that, in turn, limit the professional potential in the region.
The authors of the book see landscape as a way of beholding the world that is informed by place and culture. And because landscape is context specific, a landscape framing contextualizes a problem, be it community development, tourism, or nature conservation, to foster place and culture responsive perspectives. The nine chapters are grouped under four broad themes that reflect the multifaceted, ‘expansive’ framing that embraces landscape, natural and cultural heritage, people and livelihoods and landscape and human rights.
The authors recognize that a landscape framing is not the exclusive domain of landscape architecture, but can be applied by architects, planners and environmentalists. The ideas advanced and issues discussed will be of interest to researchers, students and practitioners in landscape architecture, architecture, planners and urban designers, as well as social and environmental scientists.
This book explores the challenges facing landscape architecture in the Middle East. It supports the idea that landscape is a multifaceted idea, and examines landscapes architecture as an emerging profession in the region.
List of figures
List of tables
List of boxes
List of contributors
Foreword
Introduction
Jala Makhzoumi and Beata Dreksler
Landscape Discourses
1. Environment, Nature and Landscape: Expanding the Professional Scope
Jala Makhzoumi
2. Climate Change and Landscape: Emerging Technologies
Katarzyna Rdziska and Beata Dreksler
Landscape Heritage
3. Landscape for Arid Ecologies: Oman Botanic Garden
Dima Zoughaib
4. Urban Landscape Heritage: Reviving Baghdad Historic Centre
Marwah Aldulaimi and Jala Makhzoumi
People and Livelihoods
5. Community-Driven Landscapes: Urban Greening in Kuwait
Sara Al-Anjari and Reem Alissa
6. Social Resilience of Communities: Al Oyoun, Jordan
Dirk Funck
7. Landscape, Community, and Tourism in Socotra and AlUla
Beata Dreksler and Karim Bacha
Landscape Rights
8. Designing for the Traumatized: Refugee Landscapes, Lebanon
Rabih Shibli
9. Landscape Under Occupation: Beit El Checkpoint, Palestine
Samar Al Nazer, Sarah Kuhail and Sima Kuhail
Beata Dreksler is a landscape architect and associate professor at the American University of Beirut. She holds a PhD in landscape architecture from Warsaw University of Life SciencesSGGW, Poland. Beata has over 30 years of professional and academic experience across Europe, Central America, and the Middle East. Her research explores landscape democracy and digital transformation in landscape planning and design. She is the Middle East and North Africa Trustee of the International Association for Community Development (IACD).
Jala Makhzoumi is the laureate of the 2021 International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award for her outstanding contribution to education and practice. She is the Acting President of the IFLA Middle East Region and adjunct professor of landscape architecture at the American University of Beirut. Jala is the recipient of the 2019 European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (ECLAS) Lifetime Achievement Award.
