Resisting creeping urbanization and gentrification in the Old City of Jerusalem and its surroundings

Abstract

This paper (which is an excerpt from a book) examines the question of the revitalization of the Old City of Jerusalem as opposed to renovation or rehabilitation in connection with the question of the gentrification and Judaization of the ancient city through various measures. The author argues that demographic and geopolitical factors as well as Israeli policies have led to the deterioration of living conditions as well as living space in the Old City. An increase in population coupled with the changes effected by the border wall has meant that Palestinians have been forced to deal with increased need for living space in ways which are deemed extra-legal by Israeli authorities but which also work against preservation of the historic cultural integrity of the Old City of Jerusalem. The author argues that Palestinians should adopt strategies of ‘Forest Life’ and ‘Urban Village’, and that resistance as well as the role of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) should be utilized in what will improve Palestinian living conditions as well as preserve the cultural and historical integrity of the Old City of Jerusalem.