![A Syrian woman walks past a poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Umayyad Square in Damascus on June 6, 2018. / AFP / LOUAI BESHARA](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OH4K2MWPBYHVJ5ZWX3DR44JFHY.jpg?smart=true&auth=2509c26714c1eaa406e3e032d0b4dc534a67870fea6dd9d9dc898046f53b4f5d&width=400&height=225)
A poster of Bashar Al Assad in Damascus that reads "leader of the triumph". AFP
A poster of Bashar Al Assad in Damascus that reads "leader of the triumph". AFP
Syria's uprising came from its neglected suburbs, now Assad wants to rebuild them
The history of how urban planning has been used to quell dissent in Syria