The Hamra model

The honking car horns, the heavy traffic, the sidewalks bustling with pedestrians, the wide variety of tightly packed shops and eateries, the mix of accents and languages which can be heard around you … No, this is not some dynamic foreign metropolis. It is Beirut’s Hamra, and many other areas in Lebanon have a thing or two to learn from its inclusive urban approach. Historically, and specifically in the 1950s and 1960s, Hamra was a haven for persecuted intellectuals from throughout the region who found a welcoming environment in its cafes and its residents. This is due in part to the presence of the American University of Beirut, but perhaps more importantly to the fact that Christians and Muslims have coexisted for generations as landowners and residents in the neighborhood (see “Something for everyone“). Today, Hamra continues to welcome non Lebanese and is one of the few neighborhoods in Beirut