Spatial Transformation of Jerusalem

Abstract

This article investigates the spatial transformation of the holy city of Jerusalem from 1967 to present. Since the middle of nineteenth century, new foreign Jewish and other immigrants played a great role in changing the traditional landscape of this holy city. At present, this holy city is being transformed into segregated neighborhoods. New mega urban projects are being constructed regardless of the holiness of the place, in order to change its identity as well as its demographic balance. Only just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis is the only guarantee to keep Jerusalem’s traditional landscape in place and at the same it may be modernized.

Enclaves, borders, and everyday movements: Palestinian marginal mobility in East Jerusalem

“…In Jerusalem, which is routinely referred to as 'divided' (Klein, 2005), 'segregated' (Thawaba and Al-Rimmawi, 2013), 'fragmented' (Pullan, 2011), or even 'many bordered' (Dumper, 2014), enclaves have a long history. While communal borders in Jerusalem were defined by Mahallat neighbourhood units during Ottoman times (Tamari, 2009), the clear segmentation of the old city into four confessional quarters was only implemented during the British Mandate, when Jerusalem was rebuilt as a 'divided city' on the basis of the principle of the 'unmixing of peoples' (Roberts, 2013).…”