In this article, we draw attention to trends in land transformation in the West Bank since the Second Intifada, after which a surge of investment from Gulf countries entered Palestine, almost exclusively in the West Bank. The occupied Palestinian territories have attracted a great deal of attention from media and academics, yet the vast majority of scholarship has focused on the conflict and the variety of social, economic, and political repercussions of the on-going Israeli occupation. While the occupation has undeniably serious impacts on every aspect of life for Palestinians, the near-exclusive focus on the conflict means that significant new trends that have emerged over the past decade in Palestine, such as urban mega-developments and emerging market-based urbanisation processes, have been largely overlooked. This article provides a preliminary overview of urban changes underway in the West Bank, with a particular focus on urban megadevelopments and major projects in Area A, the only territory controlled exclusively by the Palestinian Authority. We outline three directions for future research: the assemblage of local and international "neglected city-builders" shaping current urbanization processes in Palestine; the domestic and international ideas, policies, and norms circulating in the West Bank; and the social, spatial, economic, and other impacts of these new urban developments.

This article approach technical assistance in aid development as a case of north-to-south diffusion of urban planning models and ideas. Rooted on post-colonial perspectives, dominant literature focus on gaps between original planning models and local adaptations, neglecting professionals grounded practice. Focusing on the process’s insiders, ethnographic and professional sociology’s approaches put the analysis of the transfer process in the light of the complexity of urban planners ’ expertise and situated professional practice. This paper argues that a closer investigation of urban planners in action in the context of technical assistance would enhance our comprehension on the international diffusion of urban planning.

Il saggio osserva la circolazione delle conoscenze nello specifico ambito delle pratiche di pianificazione urbana e territoriale. La questione posta e se sia possibile contribuire alla costruzione di una competenza urbanistica nei luoghi d'intervento capace di affrontare le questioni urbane specifiche del Sud del mondo, senza generare le cattive pratiche della cooperazione internazionale, troppo spesso sedotta da soluzioni chiavi in mano e fortemente condizionata dall'industria degli aiuti.