palestine – 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 presents Arc at foreign ministry in Paris

Doug Suisman presented the Arc to a joint Franco-Palestinian conference held at the Quai d’Orsay, the riverfront home of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference on the Arc was arranged by Valerie Hoffenberg, special envoy to the Middle East for President Nicolas Sarkozy. The Palestinian Ambassador to France was in attendance, along with the Palestinian Minister of Transportation.

Arc wins 2010 "Future Project of the Year" at World Architecture Festival

The Arc was awarded best master plan and Future Project of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

Barcelona, November 5, 2010–The 2010 <ahref=”http://www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/winners.cfm”>World Architecture Festival has given its coveted “Future Project of the Year” prize to the ”The Arc”, a visionary master plan for a Palestinian state. The Arc, designed by Suisman Urban Design of Los Angeles, in partnership with RAND Corporation, is a sweeping infrastructure and urban development plan for a future state in the West Bank and Gaza.

The prestigious architecture festival, which took place for the third year at Barcelona’s convention center, was officially opened on November 3 by Jordi Hereu, the Mayor of Barcelona. The festival is the world’s largest international architectural competition and, according to the U.K’s Independent newspaper, “the world’s biggest architectural event.” The competition is known for its ability to attract submissions from many of the world’s leading architects, and for its unusual requirement that architects present their projects in person to a panel of judges.
Throughout the first two days of the Festival, the shortlisted projects were presented to separate juries in 22 categories. In the category of “Future Projects – Masterplanning”, the Arc was in competition with 11 other master plans located as widely as China and Singapore to Turkey and Brazil. The Swedish magazine Arkitektur reported, “The greatest jubilation in the festival hall was heard when the winner in the category of “Future projects – master planning” was presented. Winner Suisman Urban Design, in its Arc project for Palestine, has produced a stunning vision of infrastructure for a future Palestinian state.” The three judges–from the U.S., England, and China–were unanimous in their decision. They concluded: “The Arc excels in translating a complex context into a clear and powerful diagram…it is rigorous, practical, and believable…an example of architecture and masterplanning helping to promote a political solution.”

As a category winner, the Arc automatically moved to a final round on the third and final day, competing against the 6 other winners in the “future project” categories. The Arc was the only master plan among the finalists, which ranged from an office complex and a concert hall to a train station and a childrens hospital. Suisman again presented, this time to a “superjury” that included top English architect Will Alsop and reknowned architecture critic Charles Jencks.

The outcome was withheld until the end of the festival’s closing ceremony, when Festival chairman Paul Finch announced that the Future Projects superjury had given the top prize among all the future projects to the Arc, earning it the prestigious title of Future Project of the Year. .) In his juror’s remarks, Alsop wrote: “The Arc needs to be recognized because of its bravery, clarity, and political significance.” Chares Jencks concluded: “The Arc project shows that architecture can be a unifying action as well as a new symbol for an emerging nation.”

Palestinian Ministry of Transport and RAND take next steps for the Arc project

Minister of Transport and Doug Suisman representing RAND Corporation sign a joint Memorandum of Understanding.

Ramallah, West Bank, 2010–The Palestinian Minister of Transport and Communications Saadi al-Krunz and Doug Suisman representing RAND Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a cooperation between both parties to prepare a vision plan based on the proposed Arc project, developed by Suisman Urban Design, for the future of public transport and communication in Palestine. Dr. Saadi said this cooperation is aimed at achieving a future vision for the transportation sector and promoting sustainable development in Palestine, in line with the government’s proposed declaration of the establishment of a Palestinian state next year.

Suisman presents the Arc at J-Street’s first national conference

Large crowd attends panel on economic development as a pathway to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Washington, October 2009–Doug Suisman presented the Arc project for a Palestinian state to an overflow audience at the first national conference held by J-Street, the highly visible new lobbying group that describes itself as “pro-Israel, pro-peace”. There were more than 2500 attendees at the conference, whose plenary session was addressed by General James Jones, President Obama’s national security advisor. In one of the many panels that followed, Suisman addressed an audience of more than 400 from a dais that included Bassim Khoury, Minister of National Economy for the Palestinian Authority, and Ron Pundak, Director General, Peres Center for Peace. Suisman’s visual presentation included the first public showing of proposed West Bank “demonstration projects” which would bring immediate benefits to Palestinians, while creating the first building blocks for eventual realization of the Arc.

Arc Update at Palestinian Ministry of Transport

Arc Update Presented to Palestinian Ministry of Transportation.

Ramallah, June 2009–A delegation from RAND and Suisman Urban Design met with the Palestinian Deputy Minister of Transport and 14 members of his staff for more than two hours to discuss a range of transportation issues raised by the Arc plan, including public transport in the West Bank.

Suisman presents Arc to Palestinian Unit at the U.N Geneva

Doug Suisman presented the Arc project to U.N. officials at the world organization’s Geneva headquarters.

Geneva, May 2009–Doug Suisman of Suisman Urban Design recently went to the UN’s headquarters in Geneva at the invitation of the Office for Assistance to the Palestinian People, part of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, or UNCTAD. Suisman briefed the UN officials on the RAND Palestine initiative and the Arc project, including the recent cooperation agreement between RAND and the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Planning.

Suisman presents Arc at "Global Challenge" conference in Geneva

Suisman Speaks at Conference on “The Next Generation of Global Challenges”.

Geneva, May 2009–On the occasion of its 450th birthday, the University of Geneva organized a joint conference with its new partner, UCLA, to discuss a range of issues confront society in the 21st century. The Rector of UNIGE and the Chancellor of UCLA both attended. Under the rhubric, “Next Generation of Global Challenges – Bridging Knowledge and Policy through Innovative Cross-Boundary Partnerships”, Doug Suisman was invited to present the Arc project as an innovative approach to diplomacy in conflict zones through the use of design thinking and proposition. While in Geneva, Suisman also visited the Aga Khan Trust for Culture for another briefing on the Arc with Trust officials, including Farrokh Derakhshani, Director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

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.