THE FIRST TOP-DOWN PALESTINIAN CITY By Malkit Shoshan
Rawabi, or the hills, in English, is the first planned Palestinian city and is now under construction. The idea of Rawabi was conceived at the Palestine Investment Conference, which took place in Bethlehem in 2008. Since then, Bashar Masri 6, a Palestinian business man and the chairman of Massar International, is perusing its realization. He managed to engage a Qatari billionaire and the owner of Qatari Diar Real Estate Company to invest about 850 millions dollarsv in the production of Rawabi. Rawabi’s protagonists present an outstanding awareness of the political, cultural, spatial, social, and certainly financial context. They don’t look back. They move forward at a great speed, maximizing local and global potential to boost the national uprise of Palestine. The description of the city plans illustrates a strong partnership between business entrepreneurship and knowledge institutes i. But its is much more than that. The city embodies a coalition of powerful actorsu on all levels, from the political arena$, to the financial one, from the local context to the global professional. This coalition is now aiming to create the biggest achievement Palestine has had in modern history. A great planned city. The master plan for Rawabi is meticulous, ambitious and visionaryZ. It encompasses and contextualizes Palestine’s national aspirations in the production of a city. It is a city of the twenty-first century, as it takes into account not just the physical context, but it attempts to tap into the potential of what the local environment and the world could offer to Palestine, and the other way around. The city, like a business model, emerged from comprehensive marketing research; framing potential and opportunities in the most attractive and optimistic manner; seducing the world to believeH. For the first time in Palestinian history, the water and electricity grid are buried underground=. The movement in the city takes into account typologies, which are not familiar to the contemporary Palestinian cities, or to an ordinary Palestinian, such as underground parking spaces, and open public spaces. The plan mentions it will not tolerate any form of visible barrier, like walls and fences|||||. The city is placed up on a hill and not in the valley. It doesn’t practice agriculture and it surrounds itself with pines and IT. Rawabi doesn’t look like an exclusively Palestinian dream; it has potential to attract ordinary (middle-class) Israelis as well4. Rawabi9 is beyond a 20th centuryn. It overcomes the failures of the twentieth century city. It goes green and is oriented strongly towards research and development. It offers solutions to waste management , excavation, and water. It offers infrastructure for recycling the left-overs from construction sites, stones, and steel. It offers infrastructure to business such that they could beat physical barriers and enclosure. It goes online. It offers all its inhabitants fiber-to-port connectivity. It gives space for all the possible desires that a past city could offer, and more.
, Mark There are a variety of Israeli typologies of settlements that are placed on hills and aim to guard the landscape; especially in mountain areas like the northern part of Israel and the West Bank. These typologies were conceived by Ariel Sharon, who had a strategic military background. When he left the army and started working for the government he implemented many military strategies on civic space. Since then it is well known that Israel lives on top of hills and Palestinian live in the valley. This is not the case in Rawabi. 6“As a child he threw stones on the occupation and now he use them to build cities.”VPRO v One of the systems imported by Bashar and Mohammed bin Ali Al Hedfa (the Qatari billionaire) is an American (bubble) Fannie Mae-style mortgage that will turn the rising Palestinian middle-class into homeowners. An amount of 500 million dollars is allocated for this purpose in a form of home mortgage. i The whole project relates to the Palestinian Authority more as a knowledge institute, a partner to sort out the bureaucracy and supply some survey material. uRumors are saying Israeli officers visit the city to eat breakfast with its developers. The visits are frequent and include officers from the Israeli Civil Administration accompanied by army units and border guards and Palestinian villagers speak about soldiers in the Attara roadblock, allowing everyone related to the Rawabi project to pass through while barring the flow of regular Palestinians. Some says Rawabi is the tangible materialization of the American mission civilisatrice in the West Bank $
Z It looks as if the Zionist project, which built thousands of settlements and tens of new towns in the past half century, has been internalized by Bashar, and brought into the twenty-first century in Rawabi. HIn Bili’in, a small village in the West Bank, located just next to the Separation Wall, a new resistance strategy was developed. Young boys and girls are reading poetry to soldiers and playing the violin at the checkpoint. They state that they we will fight the occupation with culture. Land and water: The Rawabi development site was private land purchased by developers from the Bayti Real Estate Investment Company. The remainder, however, was sequestered by Presidential Decree. On 15 November 2009, Abbas signed the decree, taking approximately 1,537,000 square meters of lands from the neighboring village of Ajjul, 122 =
Rawabi surfs high not just in the landscape, but also in its infrastructure and in the business deals that are currently coming together with companies like Intel, Cisco, and Microsoft to develop local talents and participate in the making of Rawabi. With all the important promoters on board,N. {}
Rawabi brings together a whole lot of optimism toward a peaceful future.
scope of the private company’s authority is unknown. This will allow it to complete its spatial architecture with a social architecture consistent with neoliberalism, the socio-economic framework of General Dayton’s security plan. (Mondoweiss) 4 See social hedonism (http://www. outlookindia.com/article.aspx?215448) 9 It is amazing to realize that in this century-old messy territorial conflict an urban product can emerge and hold within it an unexpected innovation: peace. It might be wishful thinking, but it is a definitely a mind-blowing idea that should be explored. Can cities – more than peace negotiations, land trades, and prisoners; more than a comprehensive long treaty and complex legislation system – when planned well, like Rawabi, introduce to us the notion of territorial seamlessness and maybe even peace? n The past century was devastating to the Palestinian city typology. More than five hundred Palestinian villages and cities were destroyed. Their inhabitants squeezed into the villages that were left, leaving them crowded and not organized. Some ended up in refugee camps and others enclosed in Occupied enclaves under a military regime. Rawabi aims to bridge the century of catastrophes toward a prosperous future for 40,000 Palestinians.
dunum from Attara and 118 dunum from Abwin. Over the course of two years, the developers bought private property from 2,000 families living in Canada, Iraq, Spain, Kuwait, Britain, Portugal and Italy. The source of the city’s water supply is not yet clear. One possibility is hooking up to Mekorot, the Israeli water utility, via Ateret.(Mondoweiss) .Israel went to war against the old camps and towns that were immune to infiltration during the intifada. It sought to destroy spaces of resistance in Palestinian towns. It even rebuilt Jenin in an exposed and permeable manner, financed by the United Arab Emirates. The architecture of Rawabi keeps the city completely exposed. The exposed nature of Rawabi is manifold: Broad streets, buildings aligned according to a strict plan, and a service center looking more like a control tower above the city. On the way to the largest investment project in Palestine and inside the city itself, countless cameras monitor everything in sight. Nobody knows exactly who sits behind the monitors and sees all that is displayed. The real estate firm, Bayti, will have an administrative and organizational function and will preserve the architectural style of the city and its neighborhoods. The exact |||||
J See: George Mitchell, Madeline Albright, George Soros, Fannie Mae; see also: The Corporate American Dream At Its Height: The History of Capitalism (At: http://www. csrwire.com/blog/posts/517-the-corporateamerican-dream-at-its-height-the-historyof-capitalism) N a. George Mitchell, Madeline Albright, George Soros, Fannie Mae, and so on. b. see The Corporate American Dream At Its Height: The History of Capitalism (http:// www.csrwire.com/blog/posts/517-thecorporate-american-dream-at-its-heightthe-history-of-capitalism) “Contractors and financiers attached to the project want us to take out 30-year mortgages for the privilege of living in Rawabi. By all means, export the entire credit market system to Palestine. I’d be overjoyed to buy Rawabi mortgage-backed-securities – with an inflated risk-premium, of course. But tell me, what was the price of access? How did these men manage to curry favor with the Americans and Israelis to build this project? Who do they know who knows whom? How is it that most Palestinians can barely secure permits to build on their own land, but the Jewish National Fund is donating trees to Rawabi? I’ll channel Hannah Arendt and say that the banality of profit-making knows no evil.” Ahmed Moor is a Gaza born Palestinian-American freelance journalist living in Beirut. {}
RAWABI NEW CITY
2013
Area planned 630 hectares Core area 85 hectares Population planned 40,000
n
This typology raises the question of whether the existing settlements have shaped new Palestinian residential aspirations, and, if so, whether the existing settlements could not easily be transformed into new Palestinian localities. p153 p153 p153 p153 p153 p153 p153 p153 p153 p153 p153
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Rawabi (currently under construction) is the first new Palestinian city planned in modern times. It is located in the West Bank, between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Its architectural and typological style has an incredible resemblance to an Israeli settlement. Its landscape and greenery mimic the methodology and aesthetic of the KKL (JNF). n More details on the city can be found online at: www.rawabi.ps/index.php.
Masterplan
Location
Rawabi under construction (above), Rawabi power nertwork (below) Rawabi under construction (above), Rawabi founder’s nertwork (below)
The SIRAJ Fund
A Palestinian businessman, the U.S. government, George Soros, and Emirati oil money are bringing a $60 million private equity fund to the Palestinian territories.
ON + MONEY VISI Eng. M
Rawabi originator A Palestinian-American entrepreneur, born and raised in Nablus, educated in Egypt and the United States. Trained as a chemical engineer and with a background in management consulting, Bashar moved back to Ramallah from the Washington DC area in the mid-1990s
BAYTI Real Estate Investment Company US$850 Million
M
Qatari Diar Real Estate Company US$35 Billion
US$500 affordable Mortgage scheme importing ‘Fannie Mae-style’ home mortgage
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Palestinian Authority
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Ra Development of masterplan for Rawabi ICT infrastructure and services by LLC
AECOM Planners architects engineers
Development of waste water treatment facility for Rawabi and surroundings
Birzeit University
Al Najah University
N LA
USTDA $Grants
EOTC Emerge To Compete
RTI Economic growth strategy Short term: quick wins during building process Long term: build knowledge economy to engage with global economy
Housing Housing 23 neighborhoods 23 neighbourhoods Each has a unique Each has a unique identity identity Each include parking, Each include parking, sidewaks, coart yards, sidewalks, court yards, public spaces, services public spaces, and retail areasservices and retail areas No gates, walls or other No gates, walls or other barriers barriers Disabled access Disabled access Building types Building types Names Names(gold leaf), Lamar Lamar (gold leaf), Marmar (marbel) Marmar (marble) Watar (musical string) Watar (musical Ballour (crystal) string) Ballour (crystal) Zan (beech leef) Zan (beech leef) Kastan (chestnat) Kastan(tune) (chestnat) Duzan Duzan (tune) 30 floor plans 30 floor plans Appartment size Apartment 124-258 m2:size living 124-258 m2: living room, sitting room, room, sitting room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, master bedroom, a master or bedroom, terrace a gardena terrace or a garden Building cover material BuildingStone cover material Rawabi Rawabi Stone Earth Quake prove 6Earth Quake prove 6 Under-ground Under-ground Water and electricity Water and electricity Schools 8Schools schools, 35,000 m2 8 schools, 35,000 m2 Healthcare Healthcare Hospital for 93,000 Hospitaland for 93,000 people, a number people, and a number of private and public of private and public clinics clinics Accessibility Accessibility Walking, cycling, public Walking, cycling, public transport, car traffic transport, car traffic management management Car free center to allow Car free centre toofallow free mouvment free movement of pedestrians pedestrians Fiber to port Fibber to portfor connectivity connectivity for everyone everyone Culture Culture center Cultural Cultural725 center Theatre seats Theatre 725 seats Main Hall 2,150 seats Main Hall 2,150 seatsfor Open meeting space Open meeting for expos for 1,000space people expos for 1,000 people Outdoor amphitheatre Outdoor amphitheatre 5,000 seats + 15,000 5,000in seats + 15,000 seats grassy area seats in areafolk, Stage forgrassy classical, Stageconcerts, for classical, folk, rock speaches rockfilm concerts, speeches and festivals and film festivals
Media Media planned and film AllAll planned TVTV and film production studio production studio Media center Media center Sound studio Sound studio Cost efficient platform Cost efficient platform for commercial for commercial production production
Municipal area
Services industry Services industry Commercial center Commercial center Service area, software Service area, software development and development and quality assurance quality assurance Quality Quality citycity management and management and services services Attract investors and Attract investors and growing class of highly growing class of highly educated educated Potential Potential R&D in phrmaceutical R&D in phrmaceutical health care and green health care and green industries industries Employment Employment Phase - bulding sector: Phase 1 -1bulding sector: 8-10,000 jobs 8-10,000 jobs
Residential
Phase - Spin Phase 2 -2Spin off,off, highly educated young highly educated young palestinians: 3-5,000 palestinians: 3-5,000 jobs jobs Recycling Recycling Smart of resources Smart useuse of resources such water, stone, such as as water, stone, steel and wastewate steel and wastewate
Mixed use
Civic offices
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Nablus, PA
20 km Birzeit Tel Aviv, IL
+
0.00
Mediteranean sea
Rawabi, PA 40 km
+700
Ramallah, PA
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Amman, JO
3.5 km
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+1,000
70 km
9 km
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20 km
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Jerusalem
IT IT Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, Technical training and Technical training and R&D outsourcing R&D outsourcing Green areas Green areas Public park - ever Public park - ever green large recreation green large recreation area Rawabi plus area forfor Rawabi plus 53,000 residents of 16 53,000 residents of 16 surrounding villages surrounding villages
Retail
How far is Rawabi from Tel Aviv, Amman...?
Mosques and a church Residential Residential Residential Residential
Retail
Retail Retail Retail
Health centre
Schools
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Health centre
Health centre Health centre Health centre
Schools Schools Schools
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p149, 152 152 municipal line p149, municipal line p149, 152 municipal p149, 152 Police and fire station open inner space p149, 152 municipal line open inner innerline space p149, 152 municipal line p149, 152 Police and fire station open space municipal line p149, 152 open inner space municipal line p149, 152 municipal line open inner space p149, 152 Police and fire station open inner space municipal line open inner space p149, 152 municipal open innerline space
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Rawabi under-construction. photographs by Martina Petrelli
Rawabi showroom. photographs by Martina Petrelli
Rawabi top view, photograph: Rawabi website Credits: Text, maps and diagrams by Malkit Shoshan Photos: Martina Petrelli and Rawabi’s website Main sources: Rawabi website: www. rawabi.ps Atlas of the Conflict, IsraelPalestine Rawabi, and the American mission to civilize the West Bank, Monodoweiss http:// mondoweiss.net/2010/01/ rawabi-and-the-americanmission-to-civilize-the-westbank.html
Rawabi, the new Palestinian city that could rise on the West Bank, The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/ world/2009/sep/08/newpalestinian-city-west-bank