East Jerusalem Planning: IPCC Program for Community Advocacy Planning
The lack of proper zoning and urban planning in Palestinian neighbourhoods has severely
hindered development in East Jerusalem. This issue is exacerbated by Israeli restrictions and
biased urban planning policies. The Israeli municipality has only developed general town
plans that prevent land use development for...

East Jerusalem Planning: IPCC Program for Community Advocacy Planning
The lack of proper zoning and urban planning in Palestinian neighbourhoods has severely
hindered development in East Jerusalem. This issue is exacerbated by Israeli restrictions and
biased urban planning policies. The Israeli municipality has only developed general town
plans that prevent land use development for Palestinians, leading to stalled development,
physical fragmentation, environmental degradation, and social disintegration.
IPCC Intervention:
Since 2007, the International Peace and Cooperation Centre (IPCC) has been working
through its “Focus on Urban Intervention to Reduce Tension in East Jerusalem” project,
supported by the UK Consulate, EU, France and the Belgium Government. The program's
goal is to sustain and empower the Palestinian resilient in East Jerusalem and to secure their
right to the city through various initiatives:
1. Urban Planning and Social Empowerment: IPCC supports the urban planning of
Palestinian neighbourhoods to save "unlicensed" buildings from demolition.
2. Increasing Building Density: The program seeks to increase building density and
provide expansion areas within existing neighbourhoods.
3. Housing and Public Spaces: The initiative aims to offer housing solutions and
allocate land for public spaces, community services, and infrastructure.
4. Economic Activity: IPCC identifies land for economic activities, including
employment areas, tourism, commerce, and IT.
The IPCC's initiatives aim to immediately improve living conditions, ease displacement
pressures, and secure growth opportunities for Palestinian communities. This contributes to
conflict mitigation and social stability.
IPCC adopts a dual political and technical approach, focusing on advocacy to halt
demolitions, providing urban planning support for natural growth and expansion, developing
public spaces, and fostering the urban economy. The IPCC has identified 32 sites in need of
immediate planning intervention. Through projects funded by the UK Consulate General, the
EU, and the Belgian government, IPCC is actively engaged in detailed planning interventions
in 12 East Jerusalem neighbourhoods.
The community's attitude towards planning has evolved from denial to engagement.
Palestinians have traditionally associated planning with occupation—through permit denials,
house demolitions, and settlements—and have been suspicious of planning activities. This
program is the first to promote planning as a tool for defending Palestinian rights to the city.
Since 2007, hundreds of community members have participated in awareness workshops,
open days, and meetings organized by IPCC. At least eight communities in the planned
neighbourhoods now have elected representative committees. These communities now better
understand the potential of planning to drive development and recognize their central role in
guiding it.
Two levels of planning have been carried out:

 Outline Plans: For sub-neighbourhoods.
 General Plans: Combining clusters of outlines within the same neighbourhood.