Omar's visit 2

27.07.2011 Wednesday

Urban is about nature of activities and this is the next step to developing any of the schemes emerging from the studio work. To think about the qualities of patches of development. What characterises ones on hill and those in valley. How do we design to leave possibility of future development. Which area it to be central with concentrated activities?

The discussion circulated between the strengths of grid and the strengths of routs following the topography. But urban is not about the form: formal urbanism, informal urbanism are both urbanisms. Do we design large colours of Joe Santiago between the protected spaces of the site or do we play with the confetti of size of the grid? It is a good theoretical dilemma but has little to do with the project, with its life. If a master plan is an organism, what organs do you have in it! Lets imagine function, imagine together the dynamics of the site. Think of the sun, the shade, the spaces to feel cool (3 to 1 sun ration, 1 m wide space requires 3 mitres high buildings to its side to get the shade here). Fill the projects with imagination, more than formal imagination!

The outcome of the studio needn't be a masterplan, the exercises on both ends of the studio work have raised important questions. How do you choose those special moments to protect, and design between them, what do you design between hem, how formal would the arrangement of new development be. What are the patterns of movement. What kind of spaces is a topography led grid going to generate and what types of spaces are going to emerge from a rigid Cartesian grid? How formal should the grid be. What are the restrictions to be put on site? What is the program of in between spaces? How do we create the center of an area within a grid?

But most importantly what is the suitable design for incremental urbanism? Two drawing on the wall today put together side by side pose this question. The map of Al Addesseh with imagined incremental development on plots as they are with no urban planning intervention next to a map with imposed on site Cartesian grid network of roads with the same increntally developed buildings. Stinking was the similarity of the two drawings coming from so opposite directions and philosophies. The topography if site would adjust both to whatever suits it best. The answer in what is suitable for incremental development is not in the road network arrangement . This is what I see. What is it than? Is it laws, regulations or location of civic buildings? Looking for answers and there may be many.

Omar's visit 1

25.07.2011 Monday

Omars visit to the studio was one of the most exciting and positive experiences of this studio so far. Both teams have gone some ways in developing certain urban forms and more or less consciously have taken either a top down rigid urban grid to be filled in approach or the opposite bottom up, all details matter, every bush every personal opinion and design is knitting that with urbanised areas between those selected spaces. But today studio participants were challenged to look beyond their own approaches.

This studio is aiming to come up with a big project , a new urban space for a society without that tradition. But essentially the project should be guiding organic growth by the people. How is it done may be a matter of nationality, state or scale. Is mode of repetition and mass production like in a grid the answer? (Andy Warhol) Can it be a platform of organic growth? Question to be tested in the grid scenario I suppose.

The studio should challenge the amount of housing in the brief, argue further for more. Do we design the site to occupy all land available from the beginning and intensity later, or do we propose to build intensely on smaller area and later occupy rest of site. The risk of not occupying everything from the beginning is a political risk of loosing the land to Israelis, the issue of trust of Palestinian people.

In the study of the sensitivities of the site the should be a process of giving meaning or a feel to selected spaces. This study and the conceptual ideas of grid should be blended, Correlated or collaged. Let's test the friction between maps. Arguments will remain but will adapt to each other. The meeting of thesis and antithesis. Lets connect, disconnect, evaluate, discard also, glorifying what is there. Lets really DEAL with a COLLAGE! Let's re-read the site as an architect. Not as a Bedouin with its sheep. Let's harvest ideas, of what can be done here. What type of effect am i going to face with a decision A or decision B?

The project for Palestinians is set in a situation of conflict and mistrust. There isn't community but individuals who want to protect their land. Some elements of the site like olive trees plantation are there so that no one comes and occupies the land of the owner of this plot. But the economy of development may mean this space of sensitive value and beauty for us as designers has little meaning for the owner. He will build without hesitation. These are anthropological stories of these spaces. How do we combine both quality and economy of spaces and behavior of land owners? And how do we create community?

The only constant is change. Things are decaying. Houses are growing. How do we respect environmental solutions and the growth of the building in the process of urbanisation. Where Urbanization is unification and formalization. Will grid , like in old Roman cities adopt to topology like it happened in Nablus. What is therefore the point of it in the first place, what are the advantages of it as a starting point of urbanisation, at the same time what are the advantages of 'donkey road' network following topology of the hill?

Thinks to think about. In two days we meet again to discuss some propositions.

The grid

24.07.2011 Sunday

I had a conversation with Mat today.

I started working on trying to draw a scenario for development of a small area of the site according to the percolation to later develop the 'Grid' square of the site of the same area and compare the both.

I kind of don't know what i am doing and why am i doing it. But as i statred talking to Mat we started talking more about the idea behind the grid itself and he encouraged me to question this positions, to add to it my observations and to always draw my observations one way or the other.

The grid, as Mat explained is a counterintuitive exercise for this site. It is the most obvious and well known urban pattern of development however on a hill in Jerusalem it feels alien, The hill cannot be cut sideways in parallel and perpendicular chessboard of streets and block between them. Not the old hill with parapets of stone walls which used to cultivate gardens of olive threes. However the argument to do something counterintuitive to begin with which through development may lead to unexpected results is convincing. I cannot reject it completely. I do however thing as i mentioned it in our conversation that a grid ignores the people for which this development is to take place. It ignored topography and weather conditions. Low rise squares with open spaces inside also creates 'walled' divided spaces rather than conditions ,where accidental congregations may take place. It doesn't encourage interactions. The final argument against the grid is that as became clear because of this exercise, creates low rise 2.75 stories high development through the site. When part of the brief is to give Palestinian people a new 'centre of life'. Show them how to live in a new urbanised way. Show them a way of urbanised living, than this type of development misses to acknowledge this part of brief. There needs to be proximity to create cool space in a hot city, there need to be proximity and moments of med high rise to create urban feel. And there need to be spaces of free interaction. Grid needs to be distorted, intensified in some place and loosened up in others. Greed needs to merge with the site. There is no need for grid. I don't know, maybe this statement is untrue. Still to start from a point of contradiction of one's own intuition is interesting and it does lead us to asking important questions.

Palestinian urban life

14.07.2011 Thursday

Nasar's shop, Herods Gate

Rade Shop on the main street

But whole city is not in good shape

Romalla works better - visitors ftom the west bank - started after Oslo

First intifada was very good bussiness, shop was open 1 hur in the day and in that time they would trade for a whole days profit

First floor office, cieiling height 189 cm, because if ceiling is less than 200 cm the owner avoids paying taxes

Tax is NIS 250/ m/year, the metrage is measured when unit changes ownership or type of bussiness

Oslo- Jerusalem for West bank

Very vave jewes come

1986 Nasar was 17

Demographic VEPON

His view on future of Palestine:

Istrael will have to choose between democracy or apar...

If democracy, they will have to let Palestinians be part of this democracy, and allow palesrinians in local goverments, eg Municipality of Jerusalem

September will be dissapointing, but after that change od the way

Cuts of electricity in the evening

Arab world - will be a lot of change

Explains why arabs don't help palestinians:

1. Muslims believe Koran is a book of god and that it is 100% accurate, scientific way to test it
2. Jerusalem is a very special land, god choose, end of world, Zahmahadiw ill rool with help of Jesus, , who will support
3. Muhhemed prayed in jerusalem with all other jprofits, it is special, gate to heaven starts in jerusalem

" Being yourself is enought power for you to struggle and to be yourself"

" So that got will make you do what he wanted you to do."

" jani" - i mean

" Arma's Children" - movie, child who had no hope

" I want to live, see my kids happy... I want to travel, I have dreams!"

All travel in his life

89-92 study in USA

1 week in Istanbul, turkey,

Jordan

Nasar - after the president of Egypt

The one who gives victory to someone

Nasar's House , Mount of olives / Valijaris

1987 built

Storey added 2004

180 m2 per storey

102 m2 official top flat as the guy who measured it ' didn't see' everything

Top floor 150 m2

320 cm floor to floor height

370 cm ground floor stores

conversation about the lifes of palestinian middle class:

He went out with his wife to a German Collony for dinner and felt many eyes on his back. It is unpleasent, feels uncomfortable, doesn't want to go back.

We wants good restaurants to go out to,

Schools and education centres, libraries

All schools were closed in 1967, houses made into chools, small clasrooms, no after shool activities, teachers teaching Israeli juriculim. Children think of chool as of unpleasant experience.

Small room, no playgrounds, no activities, no conditioning, agressive teachers, 25-35 kits per class

Hate shools whole generation

New shool next to his house, big, new built in 1987

Palestinian hospital next to his house

Foorball in the streets in the evening

Restaurant

Go to Jafa

Visit each other

Meet Friday whole familly, lunch, evening,

Going to Ramallah if you want to go out

No Palestinian cinema, theatre, good gym, swim

9 hammams were closed in 1967, no hammams in Jerusalem

Hammams, some days for wemen, some for men

Old fashioned sauna, spa

One in Nablus in Old city

Good coffee shops are very expensive

Library - one Municipal Library

Everybody would rent

House structure: built stone wall, wood on both sides, pour concrete in. 15cm stone, 20 to 30 cm concrete

Typical palestninan house less strong: 7 cm stone, 15 cm concrete, reinforced of course

Kiril's house at Musrara

17.07.2011 Sunday

Architect, Nasar

Planning procedure:

1. Survey (about plots)
2. Road / parking
3. Panik rooms/ safe rooms
4. FILE NUMBER
5. Eletricity
6. Dustbin (180/150 cm)
7. Fire (Sprinkel in basement)
8. Archeology
9. Nature, envoment, boiler, solar sytem,

Tree talle rthan 2 m, move the building not the tree

10. Telecom aproval - BASIC company
11. COMMITY DECISION

Engineer and 10-12 members , municipal architect, building zoning guy, road parking guy

12. Newspaper into the community.
13. Airport approval (report)
14. Road approval - 2 years later than point 2. , than first drawing, 3.5 years
15. Development tax
16. NIS 500-700 for every meter 2

of up to 140 m2 fo family memebs no tax

17. Water ans sewage
18. Tax for digging and filling
19. Constr ans steel drawins
20. Concrete check

At the ned

APPLICATION 4 - check if all is built as per drawins

3000 to 5000 average income of family

Iman, Issa Wea

Brief Issue

Wednesday 13th of July 2011

If the aim of the studio is to propose a plan implemented as a vast investment than the design of it is different than one for incremental growth. (Or is it not different at all? )The most likely is the more realistic approach of erection of 50 to 200 units at once over may years very much based on percolation and land ownership.

The discussion of which scenario is most likely to happen has been unclear and confusing us for the last couple of weeks and as such has been ignored within studio work until today's visit by an UN-Habitat representative Filiep Decorte . He has exposed our lack of understating of the site and questioned the IPCC ways brief writing. The top-down typology and precedence exercises are absolutely alien to the Palestinian context, topography of land and anthropology of human life. The experiential bottom up research doesn't propose any valid development as it is concerned with moments and singular characters. We are lacking a middle.

One interesting point raised is to assume scenario where all owners of land of the site are given right to build. How would than site develop, which spaces will open up and give possibility civic cervices. Which spaces would remain open, how than could those be stitched together to create public open space, series of open spaces and a network of civic life for the neighbourhood. To begin with this approach and observations could generate interesting plan, plan which takes account of anthropology of life and the constant of change.

Top Down and Bottom Up

Tuesday 12th of July 2011

One week of work has passed. The studio is working on 2 distinctly different aspects. Matthew Murphy, Lara Gibson and Christin Svensson with help of others (me included) are developing a top down approach where the site is analysed conceptually. This group is looking at connectivity, density and typology. Jet the examples of masterplans of a similar scale and of good housing, schools, libraries etc are ones of world architects. It helps us Europeans understand what is the scale of things but doesn't bring us close to the site and its issues.

The second group chaired mainly by Fran Balaam and Michael Corr has gone down to the site to draw its stones and shrubs, talk to Bedouins and land owners. Experience it and draw those experiences!

None has drawn a section through a site yet! And no one is planning to yet.

West Bank

Tuesday 5th of July 2011

I've visited a village near Bethlehem today:

Extraordinary experience and my firs tip to the West Bank. I was surprised to see how similar it really is to Jerusalem. The wall made no difference as yet . Lets wait 50 years (got forbid) and East and West Berlin will emerge. However I was shocked with the division which exists in the car traffic. Going to Bethlehem, passing the Municipal border we entered roads which weaved around Jerusalem highways. Country roads under the Israeli high speed new built motorways! Another level of separation.

Looking at how people lived was the aim of the trip, but we found so much more! We found out how they feel being in West Bank, being prohibited from travelling, being micromanaged by legislation! A women we spoke to called Jamile Latif made a long list of recommended reading: she spoke of the matrix of control creates a lot of ever changing bureaucracyto make people feel they are incompetent.

1. Rabkin: A Threat from Within: A History of Jewish Opposition to Zionism,
2. Michael Anthony Hoffman II: Judaism Discovered: A Study of the Anti-Biblical Religion of Racism, Self-Worship, Superstition and Deceit
3. Meron Benvenisti: Sacred Landscape: The Buried History of the Holy Land since 1948
4. Andrew Carrington Hitchcock : The Synagogue of Satan

Last on a way back on a lamp post in Bethlehem I have see this poster: Culture in Resistance: www.alternativenews.org

Research scenarios

Monday 04 of July 2011

In the first week of workshop the studio has sketched a narrative of research. To look at different aspect of the site.

Informality

There is an unplanned settlement in the south west corner of site, this is to be researched. I also think informality carries with it the analysis of the way buildings are expanded, added to. Informality to me in this context is a study of the constant growth of the city, the reasons why and the morphology of this growth so that we can plan for it.

Sustainability

This carries with it mainly the study of watershed of the seasonal river in the Al Addesseh valley. But it should also look at the ecology of sun exposure, the vegetation and the gray water.

Affordability

20% of all development is to be affordable housing. In the situation where one of 120 m2 house cost $300 to build affordability is a real issue. Costs escalate with administration fees and with work force from Jerusalem, where is used to be cheaper West Bank workers building Jerusalem houses. There is no scheme foe affordable housing in Jerusalem of West bank. Your bank is your family or community.

Public space

This study requires looking at good examples of places where Palestinian community spend their time. To listen and learn form the people. I wonder if precedence from successful public spaces of Europe are of any significant use here.

Architectonics - typology

The Arab architecture spans from Mesopotamia, Arabian peninsula, Niles area, Africa to Mediterranean. There is no single Arab typology, there is only how people live here and now. There is Anthropology of human existence in this hot climate. This leads us directly to the Precedence studies.

Densities

To understand the brief, and locate it on the site. The typology and density are not interconnected.

Site analysis

Mapping of that is there, what are the moments to be preserved, what are the edge conditions.

This is my look at thaw should be done at the onset, we have 15 other international architects and students in the studio with their own perspective to all issues drafted above. It will be interesting to see where individual researches lead us as a group.

Al Addesseh Masterplan

Sunday 3th of July 2011

The local masterplan was drawn, one later the next and submitted to Ministry of Interior. Both have been rejected. It's not that i trust that Jerusalem Municipality are a clever bunch of people but i do agree with their decision. The masterplans we are looking at are mere 2D splashes of colour caller ZONES! And those zones are only left over spaces between the makings of road engineer! He is the one who truly designed this plan he is the one who designed most new developments across Israel! Yes this masterplan carries similarities with Settlement typology. Mountain top development. Yet it also has an ambition which is a new one. Palestinian society is lacking a local cultural and economic centre and Al Addesseh development is to create a new, as they call it, 'CNTRE OF LIFE' in the valley of the river. Park is to connect all those civic spaces and buildings. All sounds well but feels un-designed.

Was this the reason for rejection of both plans. IPCC argues the reason was strictly political, e.i. The number of units proposed for the site. In May 2011 Municipality has responded with planning guidance for the site. And asked to no more than 2500 units, an estimated population of 12.000 with a 4..3 person family structure. The site can easily take double, quadruple the number of units.

Israelis envisage Palestinian society as a rural one, restrict its expansion. The Palestinians want a statement project, a new urban space a place for new urban lives of its people. They want to challenge the way Palestinian society is perceived. Contradictions multiply! If politicks is at hear of planning decisions than is there of political advantage for the design to look one way or another?

Al Addesseh

Thursday 30th of June 2011

Al Addesseh

This day we were shown the site! Finally! The place the space, the people for whom there is to be a master plan. There is a masterplan, but an unsuccessfully one. We have seen it before, we have discussed it, but prematurely. Only this visit allowed some informed reflection.

Al Addesseh is an area in the north of Jerusalem. It is an empty hill with a seasonal river valley. To the North it neighbours an industrial area, the only Jerusalem industrial area. To the West, a south-west separation wall cuts the hill top in half. Only life happens Bet Hanina neighbourhood to the South and East. Neighbourhood which turned its back to the site. Edges are filled with rubbish, valley is used for occasional cultivation and the hill is empty. It is much steeper than expected and i don not blame anyone for avoiding it in the heat of the day! One hour we were there, burnt by the sun, scratches by viscous plants but cooled by the wind and an occasional tree. The archaeological site on the top of the sill was a disappointingly small rows of stones on the ground.

Al Addesseh is adjacent to the border of Jerusalem. This border was marked on the 27th Jne 1967 with no consideration of topography or demography. Later walls were built. Al Addesseh is cut of its natural historic surrounding. The routes around the site are meaningless at present. What if there was no walls?

All together not a big number of unique observations and feelings but a much bigger and vaster emptiness than expected.

Last of the visits:

Beit Hanina

Doctor's project, an example of a cooperative in a local style. This determined bunch of people buit their own neighbourhood with 2 storey houses of 120 m2. Yet as soon as the construction finishes they will be asking for permission to add another 2 stories! The economics and the timespan of a project like that, of a family house is 4 years just to get permissions! How can one do a cost benefit analysis, foresee the expenses, foresee the changes in regulations in political situations! This is not for economists this exercise, but for determined families which wan a house, need a house! And need it in a safe environment. If not family than the profession will be a a group of bodyguards against the evils of municipal legislation.

Precedence 2

Wednesday 29th of June 2011

The day was engineered to present us with the Other side of Jerusalem, the Palestinian side which has been lost in the war. The old neighbourhoods now inhabited by Israelis now located in West Jerusalem. Reflecting back i think we were taken to see the typologies of old Palestinian housing but also we were there to what was lost. To see the contrast between east and west of mainly Palestinian typology. As such the contrast of quality of places is even stronger.

A brief introduction by a Palestinian planner Osnat Post, who used to work for Jerusalem Municipality has been a sad introduction into the vision of the whole city. Knitted with hundreds of new roads to being for pedestrian use, with Calatrava bridge of in my opinion no real importance or design qualities which are made for this city. An attempt to make Jerusalem Modern is almost impossible! Forgetting all the developer style plans for the city one things was clear at the end of presentation. Nothing has been planned for Eat Jerusalem!

Baqa

A Jewish architect whose name i cannot remember has been king enough to present us with his research on this neighbourhood. Carefully speaking of the history of the area he remembered to say how Jewish pollution lived here among Muslims and Christians. His work was important. Good Quality historic hosing from the turn of 20th century demonstrated typologies that since than i recognise all over Jerusalem.

Ein Karem

Oh this place was beautifully, Similarly to Baqa in it architecture yet it's setting at the turn of a valley looking down onto greenery and up towards mosque , church and synagogue made it so much more astonishing. All three religions lived there peacefully for a long time. Now only Israelis live here surrounded by this beauty. Pitty it has to be this way.

Lifta

Old Palestinian village emptied post 1967 war. Again a beautiful place. This village most of all the examples of the day allowed us to understand the way Palestinians lived on these lands centuries ago. Little streets connecting houses which grew from the hill in locations which the hill itself allowed. There is no distinction between nature and architecture in this typology.

How relevant is it all to the project?

Precedence 1

Tuesday 28th of June 2011

The political background has been set on the first day of workshop, the days what followed demonstrated in rock and concrete the outcomes of years of political conflict.

Old Town

Beautiful place. We were shown The Dome of The Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque! We were allowed inside due to the influence of a local historian and researcher Yusuf Natsheh! And it has to be noted only Jerusalemites Muslims are allowed in. I guess it goes to show how important it is for IPCC to show us the treasures of Muslim culture, to note some elements of Khoran and to locate them in this place. This cultural note has is a political and territorial footnotes. But as soon as left the Muslim Quarter out historian left us to a guidance of IPCC staff. Basel Quttaineh's family resides in the old town for hundreds of years. Bus Basel when he showed us into The Holy Selpurcher Church was the first time visitor there as well! Extraordinary lack of interest in other culture and religion which he is not in a conflict with. I it the proximity of the other that makes them not look at each other?

The Dome of The Rock:

Al-Aqsa Mosque:

The Church of the Holy Selpurcher:

Silwan

Silwan is an area of the most forceful political 'fight to reside' confect between Palestinians and Israelis. It is in East Jerusalem just south of the walls of the Old Town and it has for centuries been a Palestinian neighbourhood. However it is in the Kidron Valley where historically King David has chosen make his kingdom at the footsteps of Temple Mont (now the location of The dome of the rock). Over the past decades this argument has been used in Jewish claims of this land. Number of archaeological sites have been designated and upon completion of research those areas remains under Municipal Jurisdiction. Similarly the parks at the bottom for he valley are under Municipal governance. Once Palestinian family looses possession of the land in Silwan it has no chances of getting those right back. Instead new Israeli households are being set up. Large police forces are patrolling the area making sure safe passage of abut 350 people among Palestinian population of 55000 people! Palestinians face huge difficulties of expansion with almost every planning application being rejected. They build anyway. In past 10 years over 300 people have been rendered homeless as a result illegal house demolitions. At the same time illegal housing becomes legal again if an Israeli family moves in. So we were told. Even if the fact we were presented with are only one sided they represent a strong tension and determination from both sides. Land and its ownership here is everything!

Silwan:

Jerusalem Beginnings

First week of the workshop was organised to introduce us, the group of architects, planners and urban designers who volunteered to participate in this experiment, to the planning issues in East Jerusalem.

Mon 27th of June

After introductions from Rami Nasralleh (Chairman of IPCC ), Meir Margalit ( Left wing Israeli polititian) and Prof. Rassem Khamaisi ( Head of IPCC Planning Team) we were taken for an East Jerusalem trip. From the windows of the coach and a few viewing points over the city we were shown Palestinians neighbourhoods and Jewish settlements (the term settlement only applies to a Jewish neighbourhood on the Palestinian Occupied Land). Striking is the difference between the two typologies, the organised defensive new settlements next to the organic unplanned Palestinians areas. Few important points were brought up that day:

First and foremost the 'demographomania'. The issue of proportion of Palestinian and Israeli population in Jerusalem over time. Israeli government assumes in its planning of the city and its policies the proportion of 30 to 70, yet reality is different with more than 35% Palestinians in Jerusalem. This number will increase as statistics show a growing number of Palestinian children born in Jerusalem (43% Palestinian children up to age of 10). Yet Jerusalem Municipality designates less than 10 % if its budget to the social infrastructure of East Jerusalem at the same encouraging the Israeli population to move in to new settlements. Not very fair! It is clear the war is on. Few more points demonstrates how fierce is the fight. Palestinians can only live in Jerusalem if they reside and are registered in a property here. Matters not if a property is built legally or not. The Palestinian population living outside Municipal boundaries of Jerusalem is not allowed into the city. If a Jerusalem Palestinian wants to marry Palestinian living outside the city, she or he will not get papers to join their husband/wife and reside together in Jerusalem. Only those born here are allowed to stay here. This situation is a result of 1992 policies of Israeli government and it created over 2 declares an atmosphere of fierce Arab resistance to remain in what used to be Palestinian territories.

This situation leads to a jet another point and that is the land. Over the years the Palestinian population has lost big chunk of their land. Municipality of Jerusalem has practiced designating areas as parks on Palestinian land to receive ownership of the land to later develop it as a settlement. Also any unoccupied property by Israeli law becomes the ownership of the Municipality, and there were many vacated Arab properties post 1967 war, where return of Palestinian population was and remains impossible. It's a clever mix of legislations presented to us as strong weapons of 'demographomania' war.

With increased number of Palestinian population over an area that is shrinking and the must of residence to be able to stay in Jerusalem pressure to build is on. Yet to build it not so easy. I understood it to be a lengthy 3 to 4 year process to get a planning decision which could be 'no'. Jerusalem has an post war outdated masterplan. Most neighbourhoods are working to local masterplans, but more often than not there is no masterplan, and houses grow like mushrooms after the rain. Old houses of maximum 2 storeys grow by another 3 sorties and a couple of additions. New buildings are built on plots that have no right to build on them. Palestinians build and register their illegal properties, get papers to reside in Jerusalem and start paying yearly penalties on their properties awaiting demolitions!

How the situation looks on the other Israeli site in do not know, but the difference in money invested on both sides of the old city walls is striking.

It was a long day and a lot to take in. For even more: a brief outline of the history of Israeli occupation this is the website to look at: http://www.arij.org/atlas40/chapters.html .

Also we were recommended a website of Jerusalem Applied Research Institute: http://www.arij.org/

New Israeli developments, East Jerusalem

Old Palestinian neighborhood with illegal new developments, East Jerusalem

Ras al'Amud, the barrier wall, East Jerusalem

View onto the dessert to the East of the city, East Jerusalem

Ha Horma,edge of Jewish settlement, East Jerusalem

Ha Horma, to the left view over the road with a Barrier Wall onto Bethlehem, East Jerusalem

Jerusalem Arrival

If i came here as a tourist I would enjoy the ancient stones of Jerusalem walls , paths and streets, The night lights of the city hills expressed by the darkness of its walleyes. The songs of all religions at all times of the day all days of the week, arranged harmoniously to fill the city with sound. I blissfully in the heat of the sun and in the cooling breeze and shadow of the night life in West Jerusalem with good food and drink.

Yet I came here to work on a masterplan for a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem . I stayed in a Palestinian Hotel in Ras al'Amud , a neighbourhood overlooking the Old Town of Jerusalem from the eastern side, I went out in West Jerusalem for dinner and on the 26th of June the workshop started. Reality of the conflict and ever present history of this place hit me hard in those first few days. I could see myself the differences in the quality of city fabric between west and east. But the site visits at the beginning of the workshop and the presentations by members and guests of IPCC added the understanding of the mechanism of municipal policies aiming at restricting Palestinian presence in Jerusalem. They also added facts and numbers to some vague impressions, clarified the role of history which is so crucial in the argument of Israeli and Palestinian People. After a few days the beautiful songs of prayer started sounding like a territorial songs of war. I hear them every day few times a day. It's Jerusalem.