Youth Development and Spatial Configurations

Abstract

This research explores the intersectional fields of displacement and architecture by examining the interrelationship between youth development and spatial configurations in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, more specifically in Ein El Hilweh Camp in the South of Lebanon. It aims at understanding how spatial configurations can alter human behavior, and the ways in which societal reform can take place in an urban context. Through taking Ein El Hilweh Camp as a case study and interviews conducted with youth coordinators at local NGOs operating in Ein El-Hilweh Camp, this thesis asserts that youth development in Palestinian Camps in Lebanon is hindered by the dire conditions of spatial configurations in the camps and their geopolitics. It also asserts that in the presence of fostered youth protection and capacity and skills building, youth engagement and participation in the modification of their spaces act as essential drivers of change which contribute to the reduction of urban poverty and to the development of urban strategies that can sustain their development and provide an incubating environment for them to grow during the stages of their youth and beyond. Moreover, this research suggests that the primary factor contributing to the hindered situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is the condition of permanent temporariness imposed by the state. The reduction of socio-spatial inequalities are temporary unless the integration of Palestinian refugees is fostered and their accessibility to social, economic, and civil rights, as well as the right to the city is granted.