For the War Yet to Come

Explore the complexities of Beirut's urban landscape in Hiba Bou Akar's thought-provoking book, For the War Yet to Come. Published in 2018, this insightful work spans 277 pages and delves into the city's challenges shaped by years of civil conflict and division. Bou Akar meticulously analyzes how the legacy of the Green Line—once a physical boundary between Christian and Muslim neighborhoods—now manifests through numerous invisible divides that continue to affect the city's fabric.

In this compelling narrative, urban planning emerges as a potential avenue for transformation and peace. However, as Bou Akar reveals, the reality is marred by competing interests among religious-political factions and profit-driven developers, resulting in neighborhoods plagued by poverty, displacement, and violence. Offering a critical perspective on the intersection of politics and city planning in Lebanon, For the War Yet to Come is essential reading for anyone interested in the dynamics of urban life in the Middle East.