Beirut 1830-1920, un ‘scalar fix’ en contextos cambiantes. Un estudio de caso explorando las teorías de re-escalamiento y urbanización extendida (original) (raw)

2015, Territorios en formación

Urban studies are experiencing a renewed discourse on the production of the urban space. The "urban question" is addressed again, as the existing discourse is incapable of fully explaining the production of actual sociospatial landscapes. The theory of "planetary urbanization" or "extended urbanization" proposes a groundbreaking paradigm for the study of the urban. Focusing on urban processes rather than on settlements, this theory postulates that the urbanization is the result of two moments: concentration and extension. In turn, this theory contends the necessity of approaching such processes from a historical-geographical perspective. Applying this approach to the city of Beirut, this article serves as a testing ground for some of the hypothesis of these new theoretical endeavors. At the same time, this analysis connects with previous conceptualizations of territorial change: the rescaling and worldsystem theories. Indeed, the implication of scale in the production of the moments of urbanization, extension and concentration, is brought up. Also, the urbanization process understood as an ongoing historical process inevitably touches on aspects of the world system theory, particularly relevant to frame the urbanization theory within the specific period, 1830−1920, of the case study.

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