Abstract:
Wars result in the destruction of cities in many ways (Ballentine & Nitzschke, 2005; Brzoska
& Fröhlich, 2016) that they not only stimulate vulnerabilities of cities but also decrease their
resilience. The civil war in the city of Benghazi stared in 2011. This study aims to investigate
both the multifaceted vulnerabilities of Benghazi resulted from war and some signs of
resilience reactions against consequences of war. It attempts to compare before and after
the war situations for various structures in the city including demographic, economic, social,
spatial and environmental dimensions. To do this, it analyses written and visual documents
such as master plans, satellite images and national/international reports. The study finds
outs that the inhabitants of the city have economically developed resiliency strategies by
creating new jobs. Moreover, the residents of Benghazi construct permeant or temporary
houses at the outskirts of the city as a spatial resiliency reaction. However, this reaction
results in urban sprawl in the city which consequently stir up the pressures on natural
environmental in the city.
