The writer choose Al-Sahel Street in Beit Jala as the geography to study and imagine how this dangerous yet vibrant street can turn into a safe and diverse place, with sidewalks that can positively influence socio-political and cultural engagement in and with the city.
It has been a dream of mine to walk my own city. My parents instilled in me a fear of walking the pavement-lacking dangerous streets of Bethlehem after a cousin of mine got in a car accident that resulted in his irrecoverable motor disabilities. I always imagined a happy feast, I would celebrate with my family and friends, moving easily from one house to another, enjoying a cup of coffee, observing city elements and chatting with other passersby. I always wished I could walk the streets of the city, run into a concert or cultural event, join a training, or enjoy walking aimlessly in my free time. Nonetheless, the city only offers a remainder of dysfunctional sidewalks that rather protect the edges of streets than pedestrians. After getting a degree in Architectural Design, my goal became to improve my environment and to help show the beauty of a city I love. This imaginary of Raseef is an attempt to do that.
I chose Al-Sahel Street in Beit Jala as the geography to study and imagine how this dangerous yet vibrant street can turn into a safe and diverse place, with sidewalks that can positively influence socio-political and cultural engagement in and with the city. The main goals of the project are, first, to find a better solution to living in a high density, colonized city with high traffic and strongly growing consumerist culture. Second, to create peripheral small-scale public parks for socio-cultural events owned by the community that increase the green volume. And third, to create and inspire healthier lifestyles for residents and visitors.
Al- Sahel Street, Beit Jala
Al-Sahel street was transformed from an agricultural road connecting the two cities of Beit Jala and Bethlehem to an extension of main road (Road #60 as defined by the Israeli Authorities) after Beit Jala lost its connection with Jerusalem as a result of the Apartheid Wall built in 2002. Al-Sahel st, al-Sahel means the valley in Arabic, went through major transformations of its historically defining natural and social characteristics, disturbing the memories of city dwellers, and limiting social interactions, especially after the street was broadened losing large areas of the valley lands around the street to fulfill the new needs of a growing city. The street became one of the few points of connection between the southern and northern West Bank, now geographically disconnected, surrounded by walls and with checkpoints.
Historically, the quaint street was mainly used by residents of Beit Jala and neighboring villages as a short cut to Bethlehem city where they worked, went to school, sold their vegetables and fruits, or did their shopping. The establishment of several missionaries in Bethlehem in very close proximity to the street, such as the Holy Family Hospital known as the French Hospital (built in 1888) and the Salesian Bakery (built 1891), as well as a school contributed to the increased liveliness of the street. The street, and before it the valley, was part of the natural corridor of rain water flowing from the highlands of the neighboring villages of Housan and Nahhalin in the west to the Dead Sea in the east.
Up until the 1980s, only a few structures had their access from Al-Sahel Street, such as 1- Al-Hussein hospital, the only public hospital in the Bethlehem area which had been founded by a Swedish Christian group in the nineteenth century. The hospital creates a big flow of people and vehicles from Bethlehem and surrounding villages. 2- A small maternity hospital on the opposite side of the street. 3- The Qattan mansion where king Hussein of Jordan spent part of his summer holidays in the 1950s and 60s. 4- The Shaer family mansion built with huge terrace to oversee their surrounding lands. 5- The Normandy Hotel and Café, which hosted famous singers, actors, and politicians from the Arab world during the Jordanian role.
During the 1980s, and after much of Beit Jala lands were confiscated to establish the Jewish Settlement of Gilo (established in 1973 and is considered a neighborhood of Jerusalem by the Israeli Authority), leaving the city with little land for future expansion, Lands surrounding al-Sahel St. were re-zoned and classified as mixed use. Construction then started to take place inevitably destroying the beautiful scenery of the green landscape to a satellite mini-city that gave the city more importance and defined an entrance from Bethlehem. The new construction brought modern functions such as the first supermarket, HILTI shop, Gas Station and a bakery. Most of the construction took place during the latest construction booms in the mid 1990s after the establishment of the Palestinian Authority PA and signing the Protocol on Economic Relations (paris Protocol) as part of the Oslo Accords, and in mid late 2000s after the PA lead by prime minister Salam Fayyad adopted political and economic reforms characterized by the free market neoliberal model. The street shifted into a high-density vehicle street with easy access to on-street car parking in front of shops shifting street users from pedestrians to vehicles users.
Today, the street hosts very important businesses the city depends on such as: the only Gas Station, the only public hospital in the Bethlehem area serving people from surrounding cities and villages and sometimes Hebron, institutions serving children with special needs, the only girls’ private school, the American School (Jerusalem school), and the Syriac School, a knitting workshop, a Gym, wholesale markets and shops attracting customers from around the Bethlehem area, takeaway or high end restaurants, Cafes and Bars, a bakery and a supermarket.
The new constructions blocked the natural ways of rainwater, which resulted in floods causing big financial losses annually. Several donor funded projects tried to appease the environmental problem but to no positive ends. Late 2018, a large storm water drainage canal was constructed to solve the problem, funded by ANERA to the municipality of Beit Jala, the results of which are yet to be seen.
Creating a necessary public space
The development of sidewalks, defined as the main public places in the city (Jacobs, 1961), can bring positive socio-economic impact to Al-Sahel Street as a new visitor destination. In its strategy, the municipality defines tourism as its main economic resource and work hard to attract tourists through its business plan. The municipality is also working on a joint project with nearby municipalities to solve traffic problem. The improvement of sidewalks into functional, clean, and green spaces can increase the walk-ability of the city which would decrease vehicular use. It would also increase air quality contributing to a better environment and better health of city dwellers.
In the future of our project, an awareness campaign shall be designed addressing the right to walking in the city. Drawings, videos, illustrations and social media influencers will be used to promote the campaign. The campaign will put pressure on public authorities for better planning and city improvement supported by signatures of shop owners and users of the street. Proposals by architects and planners and city activists shall influence the joint project the municipality is working on to solve the traffic problem A new transportation map will be proposed and disseminated to help make movement easier. A committee of shop owners and users as well as active members of public institutions will act as the transmitter between the public and the municipality and other decision makers.
In addition to the pragmatic standards of sidewalks’ elements and design, collective histories and memories will inspire the future use and sociability of the spaces. The initiative aims to transform the area into a public place for various social, cultural, religious and commercial activities. Sidewalks will be boarded and trees will be planted. Empty lands will be designed with the local community to host new functions. New plans will include connecting with public transportation hubs.
Following are suggested physical elements we should take into consideration to modify Al-Sahel Street’s sidewalks.
This is an article from the “Takhayal Ramallah” project conducted in 2019 with UR°BANA and Sakiya.
References:
Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.
