Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Globalization as a phenomenon has influenced many social issues, as society cannot be isolated from global influences. Internet, social media, and e-learning are channels that provide and disseminate knowledge about global trends in many disciplines. Place making and tactical urbanism are among global urban design trends that have been manifested locally. After all development indicators in Syria dropped heavily, according to the Syrian Centre for Policy Research (2014), Damascus is one of thirteen cities, all in the Middle East, Africa and Asia scored lower than 50% and sit in the bottom tier of the livability ranking and among the locations around the world provide the worst living conditions (The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2014). Damascus has witnessed the expressions of these global trends through its public spaces, forming the contemporary cultural landscape of the city, showing that society was not isolated from the world. This study analyzes local initiatives with an understanding of the global effects.