Ramallah, West Bank 18 May 2020 - UN-Habitat and partners launch three new publications to strengthen urban-rural linkages in the in the West Bank, Palestine
As part of the European Union funded project: “Fostering Tenure Security and Resilience of Palestinian Communities through Spatial-Economic Planning Interventions in Area C (2017-2020)”, implemented by UN-Habitat in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), the Spatial Development Strategic Frameworks, also known as city-region plans for Hebron, Ramallah and Al-Bireh, and Jerusalem governorates have been launched after more than a year of extensive participatory processes with key stakeholders.
The city-region plans adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as the overarching framework to promote sustainable spatial development, and harmonious urbanization through improved urban-rural linkages. The city-region plans are representative of the creative spatial planning solutions being developed in Palestine, combining the strategic development dimension with the spatial considerations at the governorate level. The plans are a critical component in the realization of the National Spatial Plan (2050) and are harmonized with the National Policy Agenda (2017-2022) and are considered the founding basis for the National Urban Policy project planned to start in 2020.
The plans aim at fostering urban and rural development linkages from a spatial perspective, whilst also accommodating for population growth and examining fit-for-purpose arrangements for social services. Over 70 per cent of Palestinians live in urban settings and the rest are living in refugee camps and rural hinterlands.
The plans offer a platform through which the private sector, international organizations, and the levels of government can combine efforts and pool funding for the realization of the development interventions prioritized, benefiting approximately 1.5 million Palestinians in Hebron, Ramallah and Al-Bireh, and Jerusalem governorates.
In his foreword, Majdi Al Saleh, Minister of Local Government calls for "proper planning adopting a participatory approach" which he said includes active involvement of all actors from community members and civil organizations.
The Governor of Hebron Jibreen al-Bakri, said: “This ambitious strategic plan reflects the true reality of the capabilities, possibilities, needs, and obstacles of achieving development in general, and the best means to maximize the development components within the available resources”.
Laila Ghannam, Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh stressed the vital role of joint efforts for achieving sustainable development: “The purpose is to unify the development efforts made by various institutions, for what is in the interest of the governorate in general, and achieving our ambitions for development and prosperity”.
Adnan Ghaith, Governor of Jerusalem accentuated that the plan will be a bedrock in “enhancing the resilience of Jerusalemites and supporting all developmental sectoral institutions in various fields”.
The executive summaries of the plans can be found in the below links:
Hebron Governorate– Arabic / English
Spatial development strategic framework Hebron governorate 2030
Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate – Arabic / English
Spatial development strategic framework Ramallah and al Bireh governorate 2030
Jerusalem Governorate– Arabic / English
Spatial development strategic framework Jerusalem governorate 2030