Planning Principles in Jabel Mukaber
Planning Principles in J Mukaber
The Jabel Mukaber ’Arab as-Sawahra neighborhood (hereafter, Jabel Mukaber) is situated in the southern part of Eastern Jerusalem, at the dwelling place of the as-Sawahra Bedouin tribe. The neighborhood is home to more than 20,000 residents, and covers an area of some 460 hectares (see: Illustration 1: Neighborhood location). Given the present planning situation, the residents of Jabel Mukaber have limited options for developing their neighborhood and building their homes. They suffer from shortage in houses, which is due, in part, to institutional planning failures that have created a broad range of problems. These include: lack of land reserves for development; an unreasonable proportion of lands zoned as open landscape, in relation to those designated for development; a disregard for local knowledge and avoidance of using this knowledge in determining the neighborhood’s planning needs; the fact that the data base used to draw up the existing statutory plans has become outdated even prior to their approval, due to the lengthy process of their preparation; the fact that the Municipality of Jerusalem failed to develop those areas zoned in the plans for public needs; difficulties in obtaining building permits; restrictive procedures implemented by the planning authorities, and holding back all private planning initiatives until a new statutory outline plan is prepared by the authorities. The residents of Jabel Mukaber wish to comply with the law, to build their homes under permits and to develop their neighborhood without being forced to initiate expensive legal proceedings in court. However, the planning institutions and government authorities have not responded, so far, to the housing needs of the residents of Jabel Mukaber. Consequently, residents of the neighborhood often have no other option but to build their houses without permits, even though this constitutes a violation of the law and puts their homes at risk of demolition. There is, therefore, an urgent need to re-plan the neighborhood, so that construction and development there can take place lawfully.
Planning Principles in J Mukaber
The Jabel Mukaber ’Arab as-Sawahra neighborhood (hereafter, Jabel Mukaber) is situated in the southern part of Eastern Jerusalem, at the dwelling place of the as-Sawahra Bedouin tribe. The neighborhood is home to more than 20,000 residents, and covers an area of some 460 hectares (see: Illustration 1: Neighborhood location). Given the present planning situation, the residents of Jabel Mukaber have limited options for developing their neighborhood and building their homes. They suffer from shortage in houses, which is due, in part, to institutional planning failures that have created a broad range of problems. These include: lack of land reserves for development; an unreasonable proportion of lands zoned as open landscape, in relation to those designated for development; a disregard for local knowledge and avoidance of using this knowledge in determining the neighborhood’s planning needs; the fact that the data base used to draw up the existing statutory plans has become outdated even prior to their approval, due to the lengthy process of their preparation; the fact that the Municipality of Jerusalem failed to develop those areas zoned in the plans for public needs; difficulties in obtaining building permits; restrictive procedures implemented by the planning authorities, and holding back all private planning initiatives until a new statutory outline plan is prepared by the authorities. The residents of Jabel Mukaber wish to comply with the law, to build their homes under permits and to develop their neighborhood without being forced to initiate expensive legal proceedings in court. However, the planning institutions and government authorities have not responded, so far, to the housing needs of the residents of Jabel Mukaber. Consequently, residents of the neighborhood often have no other option but to build their houses without permits, even though this constitutes a violation of the law and puts their homes at risk of demolition. There is, therefore, an urgent need to re-plan the neighborhood, so that construction and development there can take place lawfully.
