In-between spaces in the Levant: Conceptual reflections

Abstract

In-between border spaces are numerous in the Levant region and are usually of two types: those resulting into buffer zones as a result of demilitarized spaces and those turning as a region under the occupation of a foreign state. But there is a lack of clear theoretical and analytical framework as they stayed somehow understudied territories and spaces that are generally located at the edges of the states and thus are poorly documented and sometimes can even be described as hidden geographies. This introduction explores three key conceptsspace, power, and identityas they provide three directions of investigation that are interlinked in this problem: the territoriality, the political power, and the issue of the relationship between the Self and the Others. Therefore, the general questioning aims at understanding what are the reasons for the appearance, the existence, and the persistence of in-between border spaces. The paper provides with various tools in several disciplines in order to shape and suggest ways of delineating the issue of in-between spaces in border regions.

Lessons from COVID-19 outbreaks for spaces between buildings using tactical urbanism

“…They stated the absence of safety and security, as criminal groups have taken functional control of public spaces and women’s access to shared space has been impacted by the consequences of the outbreak. These findings concur with those identified by the National Vacant Properties Campaign claims that vacant residuals between buildings endanger public safety and frequently show signs of property owner neglect [ 58 , 87 ]. In addition, previous research mentioned that safety and adequate places, such as kids’ areas for children to play are important as the appropriate environmental characteristics that are suitable for outdoor play [ 25 , 32 , 40 , 82 ].…”

“…The quality-of-life factors analysed health, recreation, and urban environment [ 27 , 73 ]. The results supported the levels of these spaces that should be planned to meet the residents’ satisfaction and sense of attachment [ 58 ]. As such, satisfaction with open shared spaces relates to satisfaction with the overall quality of life [ 6 , 34 ].…”

“…The peak time for women’s activity was in the morning, while men were in the evening. Unlike Meier [ 58 ], the facts indicate that the spaces between buildings had high usability in a shorter time, not reaching 24 h of usage a day, as shown in Table 3 . This shows the importance of paying more attention to the residual urban spaces to spend more time in daily life as a catalyst for restoration, which ultimately affects people’s life and communication.…”

Borderland studies, frontierization, and the Middle East’s in-between spaces

“…By employing David Campbell's (1999) ontopological approach, grounding its ideas in Sack's (1986) reading of territorialisation and developing O'Dowd's (2014) critical reconceptualisation of frontiers as socio-spatial outcomes of power struggles, Daniel Meier began to set agenda in the introduction to this special issue for an examination of the degree to which in-between spaces in some of the region's most enduring territorial disputes were being frontierised (Meier, 2020a). A looser and more fluid form of bordering, frontiering, it was suggested, might prevail in those spaces where the power to project spatially was more contingent, mediated or contestedfrontiers, borderlands and inbetween spaces always seemed the most likely sites therefore, especially the former with their longestablished traditional nature (Fawcett, 1918).…”