Urban Planning Between Neutrality and Colonial Engineering: The Case of Jerusalem

Rami Nasrallah
International Peace and Cooperation Center, East Jerusalem, Palestine.

Abstract
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This paper examines the impact of ethno-national conflict on the urban planning system in Jerusalem and its high political agenda designed by the Israeli government which continues developing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and as a metropolitan center for the benefit of its Jewish residents and their quality of life. On the other hand these policies restrict the Palestinian development and responding to their basic urban needs of Palestinian neighborhoods which have been fragmanted and isolated from each other and cut off from their West Bank hinterland as a result of the infamous Separation Wall. A zoom-in view of the spatial and regulative effect of the Isreali palnning on Palestinian neighbouhoouds will be examined, including an assessment of the plan’s potential to prevent the production of space and to continue to restrict Palestinian urban right to the city.
Keywords: Ethno-national conflict, territoriality Urban planning policies, divided and contested cities.

References
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Correspoding Author:

Rami Nasrallah,

International Peace and Cooperation Center,

East Jerusalem,

Palestine,

E-mail: rnasrallah@ipcc-jerusalem.org