Peace & war through urban public spaces "the case of Aleppo city"

Urban public spaces shape societies' dynamics and can significantly affect conflict and peacebuilding initiatives. This thesis explores the intricate relationship between urban spaces and their influence on war or fostering sustainable peacebuilding. By comprehending the social dynamics, conflict history, and the mental spatial map of cities, it can help to gain valuable insights into how these spaces can be harnessed for promoting lasting peace. This thesis aims to analyze the role of urban spaces in both peace and war contexts and their contribution to sustainable peacebuilding, focusing on the influence of architects and urban planners. The existing literature acknowledges the importance of urban spaces in post-conflict contexts; however, there is a significant gap in understanding the specific requirements for urban public spaces to actively facilitate peacebuilding and the corresponding expectations from architects and urban planners. To address this, a comparative study of Belfast and Barcelona, two cities with different post-war experiences, will be conducted to identify effective strategies for designing urban spaces that support peacebuilding initiatives. Drawing insights from these case studies, the study will be applied to the context of Aleppo, a city that has endured prolonged conflict and demands innovative urban solutions. The study will utilize a mixed-methods approach, encompassing a case study review of Aleppo City from an urban perspective and fieldwork involving focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. The expected outcomes include exploring public spaces' role in peace and war, providing recommendations for architects and urban planners, drawing lessons learned, and proposing practical guidelines for post-war public space reconstruction projects in Aleppo and similar contexts. The study findings aim to inform policymakers and stakeholders about the significance of investing in well-designed urban public spaces to foster sustainable peace and reconciliation. Ultimately, this study endeavors to contribute to the field of post-war reconstruction by highlighting the critical role of urban spaces and professionals in shaping cities for sustainable peace and development.