What happens when  international architecture and urban planning  firms use a "collaborative community research" approach, with government and philanthropic funding-- and could this approach be useful in East Jerusalem? 

The  Urban Clinic hosted Rebuild by Design architect Kobi Rothenberg for a series of lectures and brainstorming sessions to begin exploring the potential. 

 

Kobi explained how, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in the New York area (2012), Rebuild by Design was launched to help government and communities find resilient solutions for rebuilding. The collaborative design methodology, resting on multi-sector collaboration and local knowledge, has now been applied in numerous other cities. Together with civil society and academic representatives, we began to imagine  what  a design-based approach might bring to the 'Five Year Plan for East Jerusalem (GR 3790, passed in June 2018).  Could a neighborhood-approach, or even a 'drill-down' to neighborhood main streets, contribute  more timely and appropriate implementation in the public realm? What might be the role of the community councils and community planners in East Jerusalem?