middle east – Suisman Urban Design

Former top State Department official endorses the Arc

Anne-Marie Slaughter, former director of policy planning in the US State Department (2009-2011) and President of the New America Foundation, has given a strong endorsement of the Arc project for a Palestinian State, designed by Suisman Urban Design in partnership with RAND Corporation. Calling the Arc “a genuinely inspiring plan”, she writes, “Anyone who spends nine minutes watching the video presentation of the Arc will see that its potential is nothing short of breathtaking.”
Read more at http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/economic-cooperation-between-israel-and-palestine-by-anne-marie-slaughter#EROxO4O3BRul04d5.99

Suisman briefs the Arc for government of French President Sarkozy

Officials from the President’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs receive Anthony and Suisman at the Elysées.

Paris, February 2009–Representatives of the government of French President Nicolas Sarkozy received Suisman Urban Design’s Doug Suisman and RAND’s Ross Anthony at the Elysées Palace–the presidential complex–for a briefing on the Palestine initiative and the Arc project. The meeting was arranged by French Consul David Martinon; attendees included Christophe Bigot, senior advisor on the Middle East to the Foreign Minister, and two representatives from Mission Union de la Méditerranée, President Sarkozy’s initiative for sustainable development and economic cooperation among Mediterranean nations. The briefing took place inside the historic Hotel de Marigny, the former private palace which serves as France’s official guest residence for foreign dignitaries. While in Paris, Anthony and Suisman also met with Valerie Hoffenberg, the French ambassador the Middle East peace process.

Palestinian Authority incorporates the Arc into its planning

RAND and Suisman Urban Design sign agreement with Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Planning.

Ramallah, February 2009–The longstanding relationship between the RAND Palestine team and PA Ministry of Planning, which began with a briefing in Ramallah in 2005, was recently cemented in a Letter of Intent signed by the Planning Minister, Dr. Samir Abdullah. The letter calls on the PA and RAND to collaborate in developing detailed technical plans for infrastructure, transportation, land use, housing, and economic development – the core features of the Arc project. Dr. Ross Anthony and Mary Vaiana of RAND, and Doug Suisman of Suisman Urban Design, participated in the meeting at the Ministry’s offices in Ramallah. The signing culminated several months of preparation with senior ministry official Cairo Arafat and urban planner Bashar Juma’a, who is the PA’s Coordinator for the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan (PDRP), the underlying blueprint for development in the West Bank and Gaza. The meeting included discussions of the connector route from the West Bank to Gaza, ideas for demonstration transit projects in the West Bank, and strategies for moving the project forward.

Suisman Urban Design awarded 2008 EDRA/Places Award

Suisman Urban Design was awarded the 2008 EDRA/Places Award in the category of Place Planning for The Arc Project. As a visionary exercise grounded in research, the jury praised the project for its use of planning to “move the bar.” Since its initial release in 2005, it has had an overwhelmingly positive reception, as evidenced by reviews in more than 200 media outlets worldwide. By raising typical planning concerns in a dispassionate way and placing the needs of a future Palestine at the center of discussion, it offers an object of hope to all who have sought peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan envisions construction of an infrastructural “arc” linking the major cities of the two territories and providing connection to an international airport and seaport. Consisting of a high-speed trunk rail line, water, electricity and telecommunications lines, the arc would follow the high ground in the West Bank before sweeping through the Israeli Negev to Gaza. Perpendicular to it would be subsidiary collecting infrastructures allowing development of linear urban areas. In analyzing this scheme, the plan looks at underlying natural conditions; compares aspects of the resulting Palestinian state to those of other small nations; relates the potential character of its cities to models from Phoenix to Istanbul; and sets the overall density of settlement in context of other metropolitan areas.

The project team at Suisman Urban Design consisted of Doug Suisman, FAIA (Principal), Eli Garilazo (Senior Associate), and Helen Choi, Kevin Short, and Daniel Windsor (Designers). The RAND research team was led by C. Ross Anthony and Steven N. Simon, and included Glenn E. Robinson, Michael Schoenbaum, and Mary Vaiana. Robert Lane of Regional Plan Association also contributed to the plan.

ARC Update

The Arc, Suisman Urban Design’s award-winning infrastructure proposal for a Palestinian state developed in partnership with the RAND corporation, continues to inspire interest both internationally and in the region. The election of Hamas last January to lead the government has led to a series of political repercussions that have stymied peace initiatives, damaged the Palestinian economy, and created growing tension and unrest both with Israelis and within Palestinian society. The war in Iraq and last summer’s short war in Lebanon have only exacerbated the situation in the region. Despite the bleak climate of the moment, many groups continue to press forward with initiatives aimed at improving the situation, including individuals and companies in the private sector, private foundations, and NGO’s. Suisman Urban Design and RAND presented their proposal last summer in Washington D.C. to the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Strategy Group, and to a reception at the residence of the Egyptian Ambassador. This led to planning for a two-day conference on the Arc, to be held in the region in early 2007. Meanwhile, the press continues to report on the project. The project had already been covered in more than 250 media outlets worldwide, including an extensive 3-page story in the New York Times in May 2005.

Recently, there have been feature articles or reviews in: The Andover Bulletin “Building the Arc”, Architectural Record, Bloomberg “A blueprint for the day after peace”, Business Week “Design Meets Diplomacy”, BBC World Service interview with Doug Suisman on the program “One Planet”, as part of a special program on “Supercities”.

Suisman Urban Design takes home a 2006 P/A Award for the ARC

At an awards ceremony attended by more than 300 people at the Center for Architecture in New York, Doug Suisman accepted a prestigious P/A award for Suisman Urban Design’s project with RAND Corporation, “The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State”. The P/A Awards program, now in its 53rd year and administered by Architecture magazine, is considered by architects to be one of the world’s top honors for unbuilt projects, recognizing innovative architecture at its conception. The Arc, which lays out an unprecedented vision for infrastructure and urban growth in an eventual Palestinian state comprised of the West Bank and Gaza, was one of only eight projects selected for the 2006 Awards. The jury said of the Arc, “It has a clear, functional logic, and organizes and anticipates phased development…a great project”.

The Arc and the other winning projects are published in the January 2006 issue of Architecture, and are also on exhibit at the AIA New York’s Center for Architecture in lower Manhattan. The exhibition will continue through February 25, 2006.

Arc project makes cover of Arts in the New York Times

The Arc plan, developed by RAND in partnership with Suisman Urban Design, was the subject of an extended 3-page article and cover story in the Arts section of today’s Sunday New York Times. The article was written by veteran Middle East correspondent James Bennet, and lead with a focus on the work and experience of Doug Suisman in preparing the plan and visiting the region. The article was accompanied by extensive illustrations and an on-line slide show with commentary.

RAND / Suisman release Arc plan for a Palestinian State

The RAND Corporation today issued the most comprehensive recommendations ever made for the success of an independent Palestinian state that would provide good government, become self-reliant economically, and improve security for Palestinians and Israelis.

The proposals – including a landmark rail, highway and infrastructure link between the West Bank and Gaza that would open the door to dramatic new development in Palestine – would give Palestinians new access to jobs, food, water, education, health care, housing and public services.

Many of the actions proposed by RAND can get underway now to begin improving the lives of Palestinians and begin laying the groundwork to sustain long-term development in a future state.

A report produced under the oversight of RAND Health titled “Building a Successful Palestinian State” describes many of the proposals. A companion volume titled “The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State,” was produced in partnership with Suisman Urban Design, and proposes a new corridor from the northern West Bank to Gaza that would help achieve the goals of the first report, enabling Palestinians to build a more prosperous future and cope with rapid population growth.

The corridor – called the Arc – would support a high-speed 140-mile interurban rail line, highway, aqueduct, energy network and fiber optic cable linking Palestine’s major towns and cities. This would act as a catalyst to generate housing, jobs and business development. Construction of the Arc would create an estimated 100,000 to 160,000 jobs for Palestinians over five years, on top of thousands more jobs in new businesses built along the corridor. It would also foster revitalization of historic city centers and preserve forests, nature reserves and agricultural land.