Dr Romola Sanyal, Associate Professor of Urban Geography, has published a new paper with the journal, Urban Geography.
Entitled “Making urban humanitarian policy: the “neighborhood approach” in Lebanon”, the paper makes use of critical document analysis to interrogate how ideas of ‘neighbourhood’ and ‘community’ are utilised amongst humanitarian organisations in urban contexts of Lebanon. You can access the paper here, and its full abstract attached below.
Displaced people are increasingly living in urban areas and humanitarian organisations are rethinking their policies and practices. The ‘Neighbourhood Approach’-an area-based policy model has become globally popular amongst humanitarians. In this paper, I trace its development in Lebanon through a Temporary Technical Committee (TTC) on Neighbourhood Upgrading. Although it failed in being taken up as a distinct policy, aspects of it are being incorporated into plans and agendas of various actors. Through a critical document analysis I interrogate how humanitarians imagine ideas of ‘neighbourhood’ and ‘community’ in urban contexts. Using the critical literature on urban policymaking and mobilities, I show how the making of the neighbourhood approach draws together people, experiences, lessons, and territories both near and far, thus complicating its provenance as local or global. I offer a glimpse into the world of urban policymaking by humanitarian organisations whilst also challenging the mainstream discussions on urban policy mobilities.
Romola Sanyal
