Abstract:
Traces of urbanism within protracted refugee camps has led to a shift in the academic
refugee literature from viewing camps as temporary spaces of exception to recognizing them as
urbanizing permanent cities. This view goes against that of local host communities and
humanitarian agencies, which prefer refugee camps to remain as temporary spaces for delivering
aid and services. This thesis examines the local narratives surrounding the urbanization and
permanency of Al-Zaatari Camp, the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world, and how it differs
from the literary narrative. To answer this question, 30 semi-structured interviews were
conducted with local actors. The interviews were analyzed and compared to the analysis of
refugee literature. The analysis shows that while urban actors would prefer for Al-Zaatari to
become a city for the benefit of the refugees, there are many challenges and limitations
preventing them from seeing it as one. The thesis concludes that it is unlikely that Al-Zaatari
Camp would receive formal recognition as permanent but provides advice for planning
professionals with ways they could contribute to the betterment of its future development.
