LAU Conference
Aurel speaks on the topic of rapid urbanization in Oman and its political implications. During the last 40 years the politics of urbanism have induced dramatic, irreversible environmental and cultural changes in Oman. These lead to the creation of a new urban form, a departure from tradition and a denial of the climatic conditions. Moreover, the mechanisms of urbanization spread, isolate and captivate the population in a suburban reality, rejecting the notion of public and political space.
Urbanization – as an active process of social and spatial determination – became the instrument of choice of the government for the renewal of the country and the creation of a modern un-politicized Omani society. Yet, as the recent uprises in Sohar in January 2011 have shown, the process of de-politization of space has failed. In Muscat Capital Area, architecture is politics. The programme can be found here: http://www.lau.edu.lb/news-events/conferences/architecture-political/ The paper presented can be downloaded here: http://www.lau.edu.lb/news-events/conferences/architecture-political/doc...
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