Old Aleppo Between Reconstruction and Redevelopment Strategies: Balancing Preservation and Modernisation

Abstract

The Old CityOld City of AleppoAleppo, an outstanding World HeritageWorld Heritage Site since 1986, requires urgent recovery after being ravaged by the war in SyriaSyria in 2011. The challenge lies in determining the appropriate approach to adapt to this valuable cultural heritageHeritage as it strives to navigate the delicate balance between post-conflictPost-conflict reconstructionReconstruction and sustainableSustainable developmentDevelopment strategies. The prevalent post-warPost-war paradigms of “Reconstruction” or “Renovation” focus solely on physical restoration, disregarding the area’s economic, social, cultural, or institutional context as part of a larger metropolitan region. The chapter emphasises the necessity of adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach that recognises the intrinsic value of heritageHeritage while harnessing its potential for fostering sustainableSustainable developmentDevelopment and resilience. It explores how the post-conflictPost-conflict context has provided an opportunity to incorporate a comprehensive redevelopment strategy that adopts a multi-scalar, multi-sectoral approach for sustainableSustainable long-term recovery. It also accentuates the need for a participatory decision-making practice, involving local communities in planning and implementation. The chapter will stress the vital role of the local administration in managing the process by involving all stakeholdersStakeholders, creating synergies, leveraging local and international resources, and incorporating developmentDevelopment practices to promote social cohesion, economic growth, and administrative and environmental sustainabilitySustainability. It concludes by highlighting the potential of Old Aleppo to serve as a modelModel for post-conflictPost-conflict reconstructionReconstruction and developmentDevelopment to other Syrian cities that faced similar challenges.