Call for applications

INCLUSIVE CITIES LEBANON

RECLAIMING LEBANESE COASTAL AREAS: THE CASE OF KFAR ABIDA

Kfar Abida is a coastal area located in the North of Lebanon, an ongoing case for various forms of local activism and community engagement, particularly related to the reclamation of the waterfront areas to become accessible public space for all the community. This is particularly marked by a rising awareness to environmental and cultural preservation. Kfar Abida is a coastal district with a public beach, part of the remaining 20% of public beach in Lebanon. It is a famous destination for swimming, diving and restaurants. Known for its beautiful rocky and unspoiled seaside, it has beautiful natural caves, rare fauna, clean water and big sea turtles. Subterranean streams of fresh water flow directly into the cave, rendering it exceptionally cool, clean, low on salt and quite transparent. The choice of this area is based on the importance it was given by the National Physical Master Plan of the Lebanese Territory as a coastal area. The area is threatened by degradation because of the private resorts at its shores, illegal constructions on the public beach, the polluting industries and the wastewater infrastructure. This situation limits the accessibility to the public beach and the waterfront space, and deprives the citizens from their public right to the public realm. Activists are constantly denouncing violations to the Lebanese coastal areas seemingly protected by the Maritime Public Domain of the Lebanese State. An awareness campaign led by one of the most active local NGOs, ‘NAHNOO’ under the title ‘Coast for all’ had been ongoing since several years to stop illegal constructions and the privatization of the beach.

Our workshop

In co-relation with the SDG agenda (SDG 11 & SDG 13), the workshop objective is to highlight and identify the environmental threats, their effects on the built environment and the social aspect. The workshop consists of a close collaboration between Local NGOs and participants/students. Community outreach and participation are key to this workshop as all relevant actors including designers, experts, and users participate in shaping the built environment. The workshop explores how the citizens are linked through community active participation to their claims to reclaim the public spaces as part of their built environment and everyday practices. Some of the objectives include but are not restricted to the following: 

• Improving accessibility to the coast
• Reclaiming the public coast and beach for all
• Raising awareness and empowerment to stop infringements on the public coast
• Enhancing the relation to its surrounding areas and

The outcome of this workshop should be ultimately a set of recommendations and design guidelines.

The workshop is a five-day event, involving 10-15 students and 2-3 mentors from each participating

partner in Oman, Lebanon and Germany. The activities planned for the workshop are as follows: [Not

Final – Subjected to Change]

● Introduction and presentation of the case study.

● Theoretical approach discussion.

● Site visits

● Meetings and discussions with the local community and stakeholders.

● Development of group projects.

● Presentation of group projects.

● Cultural activities in Beirut

Partcipation of students:

Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the DAAD for the

accepted applicants. The workshop is part of the DAAD project “Inclusive cities” and will be followed up by a summer school in Weimar in June (potentially 4.-6. June). It is expected to participate in this to some extent.

There will be a obligatory preparatory seminar (3 ECTS).

Date workshop: presumably 24.4.- 2.5. It can shift, but will not effect the official excursion week of the department A and U (20.4.-24.4).

Requirements for the application:

We call for applications by bacheleor or master students from different disciplines at the Bauhaus

University Weimar.

For the application, a letter of motivation and a CV are required (no longer than 3 pages).

Furthermore, a scan of your passport needs to be sent

Please send these required documents until 5.01.2026 to Frank.Eckardt@uni-weimar.de