Ras el Wad, West Bank, 17 June 2015 - The Village mayor, community representatives, the Ministry of Local Government and the Municipal Development and Lending Fund, European Union and UN-Habitat all came together on Wednesday to inaugurate first Placemaking project in the Israeli occupied Area C of the West Bank.

Funded by the European Union, UN-Habitat successfully supported 4 pilot villages across Israeli occupied Area C of the West Bank in shaping more livable places by improving streets and creating public spaces. These projects were implemented with and by the local communities in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government and the local NGO International Peace and Cooperation Center.

With the help of international and local urban designers, a community-based Placemaking approach was applied, based on priorities set in local spatial plans, and as basis for other community investments and local economic development.

Placemaking is a key activity in the UN-Habitat programme “Planning Support to Palestinian Communities in Area C”. It aims at supporting the Palestinian Authority’s Strategic Action Plan to strengthen the resilience of Palestinian communities in Israeli occupied Area C of the West Bank, against the risk of home demolitions and forced displacement, as well to enable local economic and social development. This programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by UN-Habitat in cooperation with International Peace Cooperation Centre (IPCC).

Placemaking is a major contribution to the implementation of local village plans, with strong emphasis on involvement of women and youth in these mainly rural and traditional communities. Furthermore these projects are seen as a showcase for other vulnerable Palestinian localities in the Israeli occupied West Bank.