Turning Life: The Reclamation of Abandoned Lebanese Quarries into Livable Urban Spaces

No doubt, Earth has been suffering from human activities and dealing with its natural resources, especially in recent years, ranging from ozone depletion to pollution and the rapid decreasing of green cover and biodiversity. Mega mining is considered an environmentally destructive activity that increases global warming and climate change, severely impacting human life, especially in Lebanon, which is famous for its nature and green mountains. Still, with the increase in exploration and mining, this nature has turned into areas devoid of life, especially in the northern regions, which led to a rise in the rates of diseases and cancerous tumours among residents in nearby areas and the increasing migration to more distant regions. Therefore, this study uses creative approaches to turn these threats into chances by reclaiming abandoned quarries into livable urban spaces. As a methodology, the research uses case studies approach as a type of qualitative research method to discover urban and architectural interventions that could be used in reclaimed mine sites and better understanding of different land use and functions concerning urban livability factors to be implemented in the case of abandoned Heri quarries, in Kfar Hazir, North Lebanon. The applied research outcomes were developed through the ‘Research through design’ (RtD) approach as a method of adaptation: towards a concern of an actual abandoned quarry situation to propose macro models of knowing in design inquiry that provide insights on how architectural students could transition their focus from the true to ideas for interventions, applied through the final architectural design studio level to create an urban cultural oasis, The results of this applied study demonstrated the importance of using urban livability factors as a means of making life in degraded areas of abandoned quarries, providing a role model as an essential contribution to the sustainable development goals that could benefit policymakers, urban designers and architects.