Between Planning and Informality: The Emergence of Hybrid Urbanism in Lebanese Cities

Abstract

Urban development in Lebanon presents a complex case where formal planning frameworks coexist with widespread informal urban practices. This paper examines the emergence of hybrid urbanism in Lebanese cities by analyzing the interaction between planning institutions, market forces, and informal urban development. The study adopts a qualitative analytical approach based on urban planning literature, institutional analysis, and the examination of urban development patterns in Lebanon. The findings indicate that urban growth in Lebanon is shaped by multiple structural factors, including conflict-induced migration, real estate dynamics, institutional fragmentation, and limited regulatory enforcement. These factors contribute to the formation of hybrid urban systems in which formal planning regulations operate alongside negotiated development practices and informal construction processes. The spatial consequences of this hybrid condition are visible in the fragmented urban morphology of Lebanese cities, characterized by mixed land uses, peri-urban expansion, and coastal urbanization. The study argues that conventional planning models based on strict regulatory control are insufficient to address the realities of urban development in Lebanon. Instead, more adaptive and context-sensitive planning strategies are required to respond to the hybrid nature of urban governance and spatial transformation. By analyzing the Lebanese case, this research contributes to broader debates on urban informality and hybrid urban systems in cities of the Global South.