As an activist and practitioner of Placemaking, Rony provides courses, lectures and workshops throughout Lebanon, MENA region and abroad and transfer the learning through hands-on activities using different participatory design tools.
Using Placemaking approach, his work aims to increase the provision of public space through joining the efforts of different local actors
Being a senior fellow at Porject for Public Spaces Organization (PPS) in NY, Rony coined the phrase 'Placemaking for Peacemaking' in an inspiring article under the same title. Placemaking is foremost a participatory process and in that sense it could be used to create encounters between different divers groups.
Which additional experience/skills can people of Placemaking Europe reach out personally to you for?
How we can use public spaces for social inclusion and to welcome refugees.
Which experience/skills can people of Placemaking Europe reach out to your organisation for?
They can share with me the best practices for a successful network between Placemaking activists and practitioners since I am starting a network at the MENA level.
Describe one of the projects you are most proud of
"Al-Masaken Children Take the Lead in Transforming Their Neighborhood"
A populous and "underprivileged" neighborhood; Al-Masaken, in Tripoli, North Lebanon, crowded with the echoes of children and busy narrow streets, has just started enjoying new improvements that are making an impression among residents. Amer, 13, says that he likes the drawings on the floor because it helps his neighborhood become nicer, while Silvana, 11, says she wants to be part of the program to help beautify her community. Amer and Silvana are members of the junior subcommittee of Al-Massaken, which consists of 15 children who represent the neighborhood's children and advocate for their rights.
