Report

Municipalities at War: When Local Authorities Decide the Legitimacy of Housing

This report documents 68 municipal circulars and measures issued during Lebanon’s March – April 2026 displacement crisis, examining how local authorities expanded their role from emergency response to surveillance, control, and restrictions on housing and mobility. It also analyzes post-ceasefire municipal initiatives aimed at curbing housing exploitation and supporting return. The report calls for a rights-based approach that clearly defines municipal powers within a comprehensive national housing policy.

Report

Monitoring Draft laws and Government Decisions: 

What Did the State Do During the War?

This report monitors the performance of the government and parliament during the period of the Israeli aggression up to 15 April, and shows the absence of a comprehensive response that tackles social and economic impacts. Partial responses and an increasingly security-driven approach were adopted, alongside the passing of decisions that do not reflect the priorities of the moment nor the scale of the ongoing collapse. This reveals an ongoing crisis management through a business-as-usual logic, without an integrated approach that places people’s needs at the center of the response.

Report

What Do We Know So Far About Post-War Recovery in Lebanon?

Public Works Studio has been monitoring and analyzing post-war recovery in Lebanon since the ceasefire on 27 November 2024, focusing on reconstruction policies, financing, compensation, rubble removal, projects, and displacement. The goal is to create an open database to track developments, identify gaps, and support advocacy, participation, transparency, and policy improvements.

Report

Between Rubble Removal and Reconstruction: Will the Israeli Ecocide in Lebanon Continue?

In the aftermath of Israel’s attacks, Lebanon struggles with both physical and environmental destruction. This report examines the state’s efforts in rubble removal, highlighting key gaps and necessary approaches for a sustainable recovery.

Report

When the Emergency Plan Fails in Practice: A Critical Reading of Crisis Management

This report, produced after the ceasefire was announced, offers an evaluation and critique to the national emergency plan, highlighting its content flaws and execution failures based on field observations and the experiences of those impacted by the Israeli war.

Report

Shelter Distribution Reflects Religious, Class, and Regional Factors

Lebanon’s national emergency plan for mass displacement relied on shelters in schools located in safer areas, but their uneven geographic distribution created challenges, with many host towns and regions suffering from overcrowding. The imbalance, exacerbating regional inequality and pressure on infrastructure, underscored the need to a more equitable distribution of shelters.

Report

Unequal Distribution of Shelters: Undermining Shared Social Responsibility

Beirut has 114 designated shelters for displaced individuals, including public schools, private educational centers, and other facilities. These shelters are housing around 40,000 displaced people, mostly in crowded areas like Mazraa, Ras Beirut, …

Article Report

Building Permit Guide: Types of Permits, Processes, and Distribution of Responsibilities in the Case of Building Collapses

The Building Law in its initial articles defines the types of works that require a building permit, specifying that construction works (involving concrete works) need a permit. In this guide, we will examine …

From Dossier Report

The Primary Causes Behind the Increasing number of Collapsed Buildings in Lebanon

In 2023, seismic activity raised concerns about building collapses in Lebanon, initially overlooked until a series of incidents occurred across different regions. These events are part of a broader context where Lebanon faces …

From Dossier Report

Five Factors that Contributed to the Deterioration of the Urban Environment in Lebanon

This text highlights Lebanon’s urgent issue of severe physical degradation in its urban environment, with over 18,000 buildings at risk of collapse, particularly in Beirut and Tripoli. It attributes urban decay to a …