Spatial patterns in transformation: A rehabilitation framework for Old Aleppo (Syria).

摘要

Like many historic cities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the Old City of Aleppo in Syria is threatened by dilapidation and neglect. Its urban regeneration challenge is complex and prone to many ideological disputes and conflicts. The aspiration to redirect the course of its change towards rehabilitation and development is significantly hindered by scarce public resources and limited private investment. The quest to balance its 'historicity' with its 'livability' is idealized in conception but biased in application.; This thesis, by way of an empirical case study, aims at provoking conceptual arguments pertaining to the notion of 'urban development' in a historic city setting and at developing practical intervention strategies grounded in the social, economic, cultural and political realities of a developing country like Syria. The thesis main theme, 'Spatial Patterns in Transformation', perceives, on the one hand, urban transformation as a continuous process and recognizes, on the other hand, the inherent 'logic' of spatial arrangement. It conceives the historic city as an assemblage of differentiated entities that can neither be narrowly described nor preserved by general rules. With this in mind, the research builds on urban planning and design methods of spatial analysis as well as on a qualitative assessment of Aleppo's past and present preservation and development ideologies and practices. Based on that, it develops a rehabilitation framework pertinent to the city's historic context and cognizant of its current socio-economic dynamics.; The proposed rehabilitation framework focuses on 'spatial restructuring' as an opportunity to enhance the city's image. It addresses three nested scales of spatial development: the Old City, the old neighborhood and the historic building. It embraces a 'strategic' and participatory approach to urban development whereby the various urban players are engaged in the finance, design and management of rehabilitation efforts, in ways that are mutually beneficial. Given the stratified Aleppan society, it advances implementation mechanisms and incentives aimed at minimizing potential disparities between different socio-economic groups and geographic localities while instilling a shared sense of community, the loss of which many Aleppans lament today.