Amid the bustling streets and dense urban sprawl of Beirut,
Lebanon's Badawi district lies a forgotten fragment of the
city's history: the Mar Mikhael railway corridor. Once a vital
artery connecting people and goods, this space has now fallen into
disrepair. Once situated on the city's outskirts, the tracks
are now surrounded by residential blocks, including colonial and
late Ottoman buildings. The corridor, cramped between the backsides
of buildings, has become little more than a makeshift parking lot,
a storage space, and a neglected walkway.
But this abandoned space carries more than just remnants of its
industrial past. It holds untapped potential as one of the few
strategic green areas in the neighborhood, offering hope for a
community in desperate need of connection, recreation, and
resilience. The challenge was clear: How can this derelict railway
be transformed into a vibrant public space that honors Beirut's
rich heritage while addressing the pressing
