Beirut Governor Orders Closure of Horsh Beirut
Back in July of this year, Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud approved a proposal from the municipality’s parks department to close Horsh Beirut, allowing access only to visitors who obtain prior permission from the governor. Following this decision, the Beirut security forces immediately began to enforce the closure.
According to research and design studio Public Works Studio, the governor approved the proposal on the same day “without consulting other parties or considering alternative viewpoints”.
The governor not only highlighted attacks on the park’s public facilities but also pointed out the challenges of accommodating the weekly influx of visitors.
He also mentioned that there are plans to renovate the bathrooms, as well as create bicycle lanes, after receiving funding from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), a German state-owned investment and development bank.
Horsh Beirut was closed for almost 20 years. It’s reopening (only once a week at the time, and then until just 2 PM daily) was announced in October 2015.
As the largest green space in the city, Horsh Beirut is public property and its accessibility is a right for all. Its preservation and management are essential for the community’s well-being, particularly at a time when public spaces have dwindled in Lebanon.
