Gaza

In the aftermath of the 2014 Gaza war, The Portland Trust partnered with AECOM, a global-leading planning and engineering firm, to work on feasibility analysis and conceptual design of relevant urban and spatial-based solutions for Gaza.

Following extensive consultation in Gaza and the West Bank with a wide range of Palestinian and international stakeholders, and months of intense work, AECOM and TPT defined a proposal for the development of a comprehensive long term spatial vision for Gaza.

A group of leading Palestinian businesses decided to champion the initiative, committing funding and forming a Coordinating Committee to oversee its development and implementation. The Portland Trust played an important role in this regard, acting as secretariat to the Committee and supporting the efforts from inception with additional funding and other resources (including secondment of senior staff to AECOM’s team and a dedicated project coordinator in Gaza).

Between June 2015 and April 2016, The Portland Trust and AECOM completed seven technical missions to the region as part of the overall ~10-month project. Several interim reports and documents were prepared during the initial phases of the work, all of which informed a final report, ‘Global Palestine, Connected Gaza’, which presents key findings, technical recommendations and proposals for the implementation of the vision.

Trends in globalisation and regional integrations indicate great potential for Gaza to be part of emerging socio- economic relations with other urban centres far beyond its current borders and immediate region. As such, the vision reflects key opportunities for Gaza’s urban development (many of which come as re-interpretations of factors currently perceived solely as challenges), emphasising core qualities that could encourage economic development and create adequate conditions for private sector investment. Gaza’s assets – including its coastal setting, entrepreneurial and young population, relatively compact urban form, mercantile culture, and central location in the region – provide many of the ingredients necessary for a thriving and successful city.