Reformulated urban development: New urban plan for Palestinian Musrara neighbourhood

Thesis Project Reformulated urban development: New urban plan for Palestinian Musrara neighbourhood

Gvantsa Nikolaishvili 2011

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Gvantsa Nikolaishvili Country of origin: Republic of Georgia.

Email address: gwanzanik@gmail.com.

MArch Thesis Academic track: Urban planning&Architecture Case study: Damascus Gate area, Jerusalem, Israel/OPT.

Dessau Institute of Architecture [DIA] Studio Masters: Professor Dr. Arie Graafland & Gerhard Bruyns.

Gvantsa NikolaishviliŠ 2011.

July 2011

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Introduction ‘Densely populated Palestinian neighbourhoods are encircled by ‘green spaces’ or ‘un-zoned land’ where building is prohibited’ ( www.icahd.org ). The Damascus Gate site has all these characteristics, and the municipality of Jerusalem has already proposed to replace the existing parking lots with greenery.

Transformation into green spaces is already taking place around the Old City and the rest of East Jerusalem.

Statement I intended to get away from Israeli three dimensional urban planning, and decided to work on the ground, where I intend to oppose forced expatriation by strengthening the local community of Christian and Muslim Palestinians. My aim is to achieve a realistic result. To be able to achieve that, I studied the everyday life of the Palestinian Musrara neighbourhood, deconstruct it and then re-construct it according to the local needs, lifestyles and also restrictions.

Rethinking and reformulation of the different elements, can now lead to new solutions.

Analysis Deconstruction of space: I studied the site, identifyed the characteristic elements of the urban farbric, and listed the pros and cons of the different elements. It is important to see that the zoning of the area is based on the traditional understanding of the relation between private and public space, where private is the centre of everything, and the main principle is planning from inside out.

Strategy What I got from my analyses is that the political pressure is very present at the Damascus Gate site. There is a lack of land for housing, a desperate need for commercial spaces, a lack of leisure spaces, an accumulation of anger with the inhabitants, and a need for a transportation infrastructure. In this kind of situations it is relatively easy for the Jerusalem municipality to gentrify these areas, especially when the feeling of community and togetherness is lost. So my counter strategy is a multifunctional neighbourhood with housing, commerce and market integrated with the Damascus Gate, both physically and economically, managed by a strong community of Christian and Muslim Palestinians, who will take care of the safety and organisation issues in the neighbourhood, and providing a balanced relation between work, life and leisure.

Masterplan Construction of the site With the reconfiguration of the different elements I tried to solve the problems on the site and provide the inhabitants with the needed privacy. I used the existing principle of planning from inside out. But instead of cutting all access to the housing zones I opened it up partially to the public spaces, and in doing so I tried to make a transition from one space to another. In the end instead of clusters and disconnected fragments, I designed one comprehensive image for the neighbourhood.

Based on F. Ragette’s planning recommendations for the climate in the Arab countries I designed north oriented simple rectangular housing units and with the combination of similar units with half open courtyard spaces, with terraces and a possibility for vertical extensions. In that way providing diversity in spaces and streets. Housing is combined with commerce along the main streets and on the edges of the housing zone.

Since the number of Christian Palestinians is dramatically declining in Jerusalem and their businesses are also not doing very well, I am giving them more business opportunities with dividing the area into the different zones for commerce: wholesale shops, light commerce and a market.

For the public spaces I blocked the area for car trafic, it will only be accessible for the delivery trucks and vehicles of the local inhabitants, and making a clear and strong connection to the Damascus Gate and the new Bus station. I reorganised the pedestrian sidewalks with defined parking lots, green spaces, frontages and commerce, making them clearly visible. The street typology varies from narrow to wide commercial activity streets.

To sum up I reused existing components of the urban development into more practical ways of createing proper living conditions for the local people and other groups visiting the area, and in doing so I hope to proof that change is possible even so with small urban details.

I have defined different groups using the area and only then I started to write the programme, which means providing the necessary functions and services for each of them. I generated a decentralised movement through the site and tried to balance it.

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Distribution of Plaestinians in East Jerusalem

Jerusalem planning zones

Distribution of population growth 1990-1995

The residential density of Jerusalem’ s appartments, 1995

New land use map proposed by J. municipality for our site

S I T E A N A LYS I S L a n d Us e

S I T E A N A LYS I S L a n d Us e

Population growth in Jerusalem (2004-2008)

Existing land use map

Project site area Commerce Residential Public Institutions Administratives Mixed-Use Heritages Green Area/Open Space

Project site area Commerce Residential Public Institutions Administratives Mixed-Use

Jerusalem population by religion and geographycal spreading

Heritages Green Area/Open Space

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A N A L Y S I S Study of the crowd movement, relation between private and public spaces N

LEGEND: Unused spaces Crowd concentration Housing Need for connection Private spaces spaces with trouble Garbage concentration 1: 2500 5

Comparison of traditional and contemporary Arab housing typologies Traditional Arab architecture Traditional Arab architecture Courtyardhouse houseand anditsitsprinciples principles Courtyard ‘House is not perceived as an obejcet to be seen, but experienced as a succesion of spaces, designed from the inside out with a great understanding of the hierarchy of volumes.’ - F. Ragette

External openings are avoid

Space between the buildings is spared

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Circumferencial growth

Floor levels changes seperate clean from soiled areas.

In Palestine: Massive groined Vaults (4x4, 6x6, Floor height - 3,5 - 5m

wt gro cal

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rt Ve

Ventilation device

Legend: Public Space

Courtyard

Neighbors

Iwan

Seperated functions

Neighbors

Shade

Ai r

Lig

ht

Family Space

Linear growth

Entrance

Summer space with openings to the North

Semi-public Space Private Space

Street/Dead end

Roof: Food processing, sleeping platform

Colonade/Arce/Porch/Gallery Transition space from inside to outside

Contemporary Arab architecture Contemporary Arab architecture Residential block typology Residential block typology

Special room for guests like Iwan

TOWARDS LOWERING THE COST OF HOUSES IN PALESTINE: NEW PERSPECTIVE Hussam A. Kurraz and Mohamed Ziara

Balcony

Guest

Kitchen

Store

M. Bed. R

Bath Living WC

Bed. R

Bed. R

Legend: Public Space

Balcony

Semi-public Space Private Space

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part of the interior space

usually 2-3 bedrooms + bathroom

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Deconstruction of space

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Additional oor built on the rooftop Relatively small windows for sun light protaction Rooftop Closed windows

Protection from sun and public

Protactions from sun Small windows

Balcony-Visual element Not used by inhabitants

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Courtyard

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1.Street dead ends;

1. Street dead ends;

2. Hidden entrances to houses;

2. Hidden entrances;

3. Temporary shading structures;

3. Temporary shading structures;

4. Extended commercial spaces ;

4. Extended commercial spaces;

5. Empty open spaces;

5. Empty open spaces;

6. The wall separating private from public;

E l em en ts

Elements

6. The wall separating private from public spaces;

7. Small openings on exteriors;

7. Small openings on exteriors;

8. Small clustered housing;

8. Small clustered housing;

9. Narrow streets;

9. Narrow streets;

10. Small courtyard spaces;

10. Small courtyard spaces;

11. Terraces used forused family activities; 11. Terraces for family activities;

12. Balconies as an unnecessary elements; elements; 12. Balconies as an unnecessary

13. Goods supply supply platforms; 13. Goods platforms;

14. Phone boxes in front of shops; 14. Phone boxes in the front of the shops;

15. Aditions on the rooftops.

15. Additions on the rooftops.

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Users of the area Passengers

1. Passengers;

Tourists

2. Tourists;

Strategy

The area is the main transportation hub for East Jerusalem and transition point for the passengers traveling from north to Project Aims Strengthening community Totality of the urban network south(south to north). Also to take taxi to Allenby bridge or somewhere outside the Urbanism municipal borders.

Strategy Everyday Reason to come to the area: Transporation, connectivity.

Project Type of the transportation: Bus, Taxi and Tram.

Need for: Shading structure; waiting spaces, ATM, food and Urban planning Funcional Zoning Regulation of the exist. urban dev. drinks.

Regulation of the local means of production Reason to come to the area: need for ATM machine, food and Urbanwater.

Design Networks Developments Public Sometimes they also get lost and ask for help, theyspaces are also looking for taxi , rarely their curiosity is bringing them inside the neighbourhood.

Type of the transportation: Bus, Car, Taxi.

Need for: Direction signs, Info points, accessible transportation, parking lots, drinks and food.

Professionals

3. Professionals/Students;

Busynessmen

4. Busynessmen;

Consumers

5. Consumers;

Local Inhabitants

6. Local inhabitants;

Jews

7. Jews

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Existing functional arrangement; The neighbourhood contains couple of educational institutions, Main principle is planning from inside out. Tomb, French School for archeological sites, churches: Garden

Bible and Archeology, Schmidt College for girls and White Transportation Strategy Sisters.

Reason to come to the area: Appointment, lecture, research.

Housing Type of the transportation: Car, Bus. Commerce Need for: Stationary shops, book shops, good transportation and Street parking lots.

Decentraliz Proposed

Users of the area

Centralized

The neighbourhood is the commercial center for East Jerusalem, a lots of Palestinians come here for their busyness and local inhabitants are also leading their own busyness around here.

Reason to come to the area: work, money.

Type of the transportation: Car, Bus,Tram. for: Space for commerce, goods delivery system and parkThe Need programme for the Site ing, storage space, more customers.

Reason to come to the area: shopping, buying food, furniture and cloth, go to the Bank for withdrawal of the salary.

Type of the transportation: Car, Bus, Tram.

Need for: ATM, shading structure, parking lots.

There are few local inhabitants living deep inside the neighbourhood. They consist out of two groups: Muslim Palestinians and Christina Palestinians.

Type of the transportation: Bus, Car, Taxi and Tram.

Need for: Sanitation, privacy, playgrounds, safety, more commercial freedom for Christian Palestinians.

North-west from our site is located old Ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood and during Shabatt for the reason of getting to wailing wall they use Damascus Gate.

Reason to come to the area: getting inside the Old City, Shabatt for prayers.

Type of the transportation: walking only.

Need for: good accessibility to DG, good pedestrian crossings.

S T Strategy Strategy

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Project Aims

Strengthening community

Strategy

Everyday Urbanism

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Totality of the urban network

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Reconfiguration of the public realm

Project Urban planning

Funcional Zoning

Regulation of the exist. urban dev.

Involvement of the local population

Regulation of the local means of production Urban Design

Networks

Developments

Public spaces Centralized

Existing functional arrangement; Main principle is planning from inside out.

Housing Commerce Street

Proposed

Transportation Strategy

Decentralized

Programme for the site

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M A S Proposed zoning map

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Legend: Housing Commerce Important Pedestrian Streets Public spaces Site Border

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Proposed zonning map

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60m

Housing developments and

Networks

Design considerations

Planning and Design Strategies

North-West wind

Planning considerations Proposed Street concept

1. Connecting parallel streets

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1. Orientation

2. Levels

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3. Ventilation

4. Public&Private

7. Housing density

8. Do it yourself.

Max.

Min.

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5. Family growth

6. Max buil. height

2. Zigzag streets

Housing Unit

Cubic 10X10

Staircase

Ventilation gap

Clustered Rooftop

Narrowed width

Housing Unit combinations 1

2

3. Dead ends

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3

Dead end type a

Dead end type b

Winter Sun Summer Sun Private spaces 15

IBN

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Existing road networks

Hidden road networks H LA

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Legend: Housing Commerce Important Streets Pedestrian Streets Public spaces Site Border

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Existing transportation network 16

10m

20m

30m

40m

50m

60m

Proposed road networks

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Legend: Important Streets Half-Pedestrian Streets Pedestrian Streets

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60m

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Built-up area

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40m

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60m

Building heights

1 storey build.

2 storey build.

3 storey build.

4 storey build.

5 storey build.

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HousingDensity density Housing

15171 sq.m. ( 1,5 ha) - 25-30 hous. units - 16 hu/ha

4734 sq.m. ( 0,47 ha) - 18 hous. units - 38 hu/ha

22313 sq.m. ( 2,2 ha) - 30-35 hous. units - 15-16 hu/ha

12983 sq.m. ( 1,3 ha) - 50 hous. units - 38 hu/ha

Legend: Proposal Existing

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Housing unit design Unit type 1 Housint unit design

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Unit type 2

9.00 8.70 9.00 8.70 9.00 8.70

Unit

TRANSFORMATION

based

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Unit type 3 14.00 13.00 12.70

14.00 13.70

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family

+ Shop

growth

+ Shop 23

14.00 13.00 12.70

14.00 13.70

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Commerce

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Proposed crowd movement and activity centers Expected crowd movement N

Commerce Light commerce, including leisure Wholesale shops Market Frontage

Activity center Crowd movement

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60m

Expanded commerce on the site N

Commerce Ground Floor Frontage spaces

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60m

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Distribution of the commerce

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Commerce Light commerce, including leisure Wholesale shops Market Frontage

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10m

20m

30m

40m

50m

60m

Market

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Speciality zoning of the streets and open spaces

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Public, semi-public and private spaces

Legend: Private Semi-Public Public

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10m

20m

30m

40m

50m

60m

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Parking lots

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Green spaces N

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Street sections and axonometries

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Axonometry Street section

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10m

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Reformulated elements Main commercial street

Manual shading structures

Shipping platforms

Extended commerce

S Pla P hop e nti des fron ng tri Ha /fu an tage lfrni pa p Pla e shi th nti destri ng n a Tr ipl Ped g/fur n roa e fu es n d nct tria ishin n g io Pla P nti edes n per path n t g Pe g/f ria ol a d u n Sh estri rnis path op an hin fro pa g nta th ge

Triple functional PERGOLA: commerce, storage and shading

Stone-tile texture

Brick

Stone floor

Concrete bricks in zigzag form

Stone- square pav.

Stone 35

1. Main commercial Street

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2. Typical commercial street

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3. Inner path in the housing

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4. Inner path in the housing with light commerce

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5. Inner pedestrian type

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6. Communal type

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ŠGvantsa Nikolaishvili