2010 Honor Award for Urban Design
The Arc
A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State
Architect: Suisman Urban Design
The Arc project offers a sweeping infrastructure plan for a Palestinian state; it could begin immediately and provide tangible incentives for political resolution by demonstrating the benefits of achieving peace. Following the natural terrain of the West Bank, the Arc corridor provides transportation, water, and power to the main Palestinian towns and cities, allowing them to absorb a fast-expanding population and grow in a sustainable manner. The Arc provides a framework for urban development that would direct aid and private investment towards a unifying plan, rather than towards countless disconnected projects. It is designed to provide the physical foundation for the long-term economic and social success of a Palestinian state. Building the core elements (transport infrastructure and 100,000 housing units) would cost $8 billion. Work could begin now on planning and construction carried out in phases, beginning with individual cities and then expanding to the national scale.
