Mina Prosperity Index

This research project is from the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity.

Project partners: Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI)

About the project

The Prosperity Report – El Mina, Tripoli is the result of a collaboration between the RELIEF Centre, the charity CatalyticAction, and local citizen scientist researchers dedicated to improving El Mina and its surroundings. 

The study provides data on prosperity and quality of life for residents diverse in socioeconomic status, religious identity, and housing tenure, including informal settlements and privately owned and rented accommodations. This report is a rare and necessary study offering detailed quantitative data for a site in Lebanon outside Beirut, addressing the research landscape’s disproportionate focus on the capital. 

Interventions

The Mauj project rejuvenated a section of El Mina’s corniche, one of the city’s few accessible public spaces, particularly benefiting vulnerable neighborhoods. 

Through a participatory approach, citizen scientists led research, design, and implementation, transforming the area into an inclusive, child-friendly, and accessible space. 

The final design, inspired by the sea, features multi-level benches, playful “rocks,” speaking pipes, and access ramps, creating a welcoming environment for all. Local materials and labour were used to foster community ownership, and ongoing activities ensure the space remains vibrant and active.

This video shows the culmination of the work that the Mina Prosperity team has conducted since 2020 as part of the RELIEF Centre’s mission to redefine and measure prosperity, in collaboration with NGO Catalytic Action. The research resulted in a report which can be found on our website, and an intervention implemented on the Mina Corniche to address the challenge of child friendly and secure public spaces. Other challenges and potential solutions were discussed with members of the Mina community in a townhall that we hosted in 2022.

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