Rebuilding torn cities in Syria, using Berlin as a model

The human being is at the heart of urban development. Or at least, that's how it should be.

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Aerial view of Berlin skyline and Spree river in beautiful evening light at sunset in summer, Germany.

Rebuilding torn cities in Syria, using Berlin as a model

Sawsan Jamil Hasan

last update on 28 Oct 2023

Berlin: Can you be jealous of a city? I first felt this when I encountered Berlin. I wrote about the emotions that overwhelmed me on the final day of 2012.

At the time, the Syrian people's uprising was still short of its second year, which means it hadn’t yet progressed significantly towards the war that would devastate villages, displace people, and impoverish those who stayed behind.

It had not yet forced them into a life that did not seem to belong to this era – the era of digital revolution and human rights.

It didn’t take long for me to realise our Syrian cities were in bad shape.

AFP / LOUAI BESHARA — Syrians commute through Bab Sharqi (The Eastern Gate), one of the capital city's historic gates in Damascus' old town, on March 2, 2021.

Our love for them was not rooted in their exceptional beauty or historical significance, propped up by a vast imagination and self-inflated feelings of grandeur.

If their inhabitants knew other cities, they would recognise that the identity of Syrian cities had eroded over time. They were on the brink of losing their distinctive features. They would soon be hard to place in a specific era, past or present.

Our cities, which had grown and expanded like tumours, no longer had the structures or facilities that allowed their residents to live happily. They were cities in crisis, home to crushed souls.

It was not a love for the land that was passed down from generation to generation, but rather an attachment to the past, in the face of a fleeting life and a future that offered neither dreams nor hopes.

Rebuilding anew

Berlin is not a city that dazzles you with its beauty.

Instead, like a labyrinth, it draws you into its secrets. The more secrets it reveals, the more you want to discover. There’s a warmth and intimacy that Berlin offers to its visitors and residents.

Shutterstock — Brandenburg gate at sunset, Berlin, Germany.

Ten years later, that distant feeling returns to me. Now, it reminds me of the catastrophes that have struck our own countries, from Syria and Yemen to Lebanon, Sudan and Libya. The list goes on.

The extent of the destruction our cities have endured raises soul-deep questions. Today, they’re testimonies to the horror of past and current annihilation.

This is in contrast to Berlin, a city that was destroyed during the Second World War, but rose again like the rest of Germany, a country that has re-imagined its existence and firmly established itself among the world's most powerful nations today.

Berlin was destroyed during the Second World War, but rose again like the rest of Germany, a country that has re-imagined its existence and established itself among the world's most powerful nations today.

Images of destroyed Syrian cities had dominated our screens for years during the war. Then came the earthquake on 6 February, which devastated both Syria and Turkey. In addition, another disaster struck Libya after years of fighting.

These pictures sparked questions about what's in store – what comes next. Do we rebuild?

The future cannot be separated from envisaging a new form of our beloved cities that will rise again and reestablish themselves or be built by those who have survived.

But what will these cities look like? The appearance of these cities in the future will undoubtedly depend on the kinds of systems that will govern them, and the way societies will develop after the wars and disasters that have occurred.

The greatest shame would be to rebuild them to their former state – under corrupt and oppressive regimes that spread ignorance.

AFP — Syrians commute through Bab Sharqi (The Eastern Gate), one of the capital city's historic gates in Damascus' old town.

Migration, magnified

In an article entitled Reinventing Cities, published on the website of the German Information Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, author Manfred Ronzheimer pointed out that the largest migration movement in human history has begun.

Never before have so many people lived in urban centres.

This statement appears to be largely correct. As more and more people move to cities, and the population in these cities keeps growing, there's a strong need to provide housing and public services, which help a city function smoothly. This challenge becomes even more complex in the digital age as our needs continue to evolve.

Rural-urban migration has increased in most countries around the world. In Syrian cities, this has been evident over the last fifty years. The slums around major cities have transformed into a belt of poverty.

The 21st century is often described as the century of cities, which have been compared to "giant black holes that devour resources without limits."

This poses a major challenge for governments, forcing officials to look for fast-acting solutions.

Multi-centre cities

In the future, cities will move away from the idea of one "giant city" (or metropolis) and lean towards a more decentralised, multi-centre model.

Berlin is an example of this. Its neighbourhoods appear to be partially self-sufficient in terms of social and government services, community organisation, and a transportation network that connects different areas.

In the future, cities will move away from the idea of one "giant city" (or metropolis) and lean towards a more decentralised, multi-centre model. Berlim is an example of this.

However, governments often encounter challenges when seeking to achieve an ideal city model. This typically resembles an "exemplary" European city, which can be used as a basis in all future developments, as per the Executive Director of the Institute for Urban Planning in Berlin.

To create an ideal city, several elements are important, like considering the city's history, leaning toward a liberal mindset, promoting urban living, ensuring high-quality architectural design, and fostering community engagement in decision- or policy-making.

Leaders often argue that residents must play a central role in shaping the future of their city.

A connection to nature is also essential, with Berlin offering green spaces and forests, and looking into sustainability, social harmony, cultural development, and the relationship between humans and technology.

That being said, the building of smart cities globally isn't straightforward, despite advances in artificial intelligence; while technology is advancing rapidly, people have not been as quick to adapt.

Quality of life

City planner Philippe Bouteiller says his goal is to build upon the example of Berlin.

"I am careful to compare this project with Silicon Valley because we have a different culture (in Europe). We are not trying to build Disneyland, but to preserve the famous mix in Berlin through social structure, small-scale division, and diversity, using new technologies to improve the quality of life," he explains, adding that a "decent standard of living" is the ultimate goal.

To Syrians (and individuals who come from similarly dilapidated countries), a "decent standard of living" is increasingly crucial.

Syria's primary goal was not the well-being of its people, though it should have been, particularly for a regime that claims to be elected by, and working for, the people.

Before the war, our cities were in a state of chaos as powerful individuals competed for control. They expanded rapidly, handling an influx of people, and the population density increased, wiping out what made them unique.

Ancient neighbourhoods that we now only see in TV shows, movies, and old pictures mostly disappeared. Only a few fragments remain, like small patches of stubborn algae amid large urban projects being built without the basic facilities needed for people to live there.

Only a few fragments (of Syrian neighbourhoods) remain, like small patches of stubborn algae amid large urban projects being built without the basic facilities needed for people to live there.

These neighbourhoods are characterised by narrow streets and even narrower sidewalks, filled with stalls and merchants, endless cars, towering buildings without adequate parking, and power grids with tangled wires dangling precariously.

Without pumps, water fails to reach homes. Public transport is decrepit. There are no dedicated services for people with disabilities. And all this exists without proper regulation.

Personal interests

I could go on, but what we can see with the naked eye needs no further explanation. This widespread destruction has evolved over 50+ years, due to governmental, administrative, and societal corruption.

As a result, our cities stagnated. Disorder reigned. Structures were unable to withstand the force of nature. An earthquake reduced them to rubble in one spot, and a hurricane led people to their deaths in another. Dams were built and abandoned. The poor who had been displaced (in favour of these dams) were left to build flimsy homes that were vulnerable to floods, ready to be swept away should the dam ever collapse.

Housing and freedom of movement are fundamental human rights recognised by international agreements and national constitutions. They form the cornerstone of urban planning and guarantee the rights of city residents.

However, these "rights" were sidelined long ago, much like other dues that have been violated and forgotten in deteriorating countries, controlled by totalitarian and dictatorial regimes that do not care about the interests of the people they govern, but rather seek to maintain power for their own benefit. They allow a small corrupt elite to control the country's economy, resources, and the fates of its people.

This is further compounded by war profiteers who lack any legitimate projects, knowledge, or moral boundaries. They primarily engage in activities that involve damaging or destroying cities.

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