» English AbstractBrief:The Palestinian neighborhoods of eastern Jerusalem are marked by a
state of "under-planning", which is characterized by prohibition of
construction in wide areas. Though most of these neighborhoods have
an approved Outline Plan, the plans do not fit residents’ needs and are
not implemented. Consequently, and also as a result of other difficulties
in obtaining building permits, the residents turn to improvised solutions
of informal construction, in spite of the constant threat of demolition. In
an attempt to address this trap, Bimkom carried out over the last years
a comprehensive planning survey of East Jerusalem neighborhoods, as
a tool for providing planning assistance. The information in the survey
was collected over several years through meetings with residents,
independent research, and analysis of hundreds of plans. The aim of
the survey is to offer a base for more responsive and flexible statutory
planning in these neighborhoods that includes ways of integrating and
including the existing situation in the area. The survey provides a platform
for an approach that combines the local logic of the built environment
with the institutional logic that directs the planning agencies.
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