GUIDELINES FOR ADAPTING THE OLD CITY TO A SPECIAL REGIME

“The Jerusalem Old City Initiative” has brought together an international group of professionals to clarify the legal, economic and security issues involved in establishing an interim special regime in the Old City. The aim is to ensure that any proposed solution meets the needs of Israel and Palestine within the framework of a two-state solution.

As part of the security-planning team, SAYA has been commissioned to examine the spatial aspects in implementation of a special regime administration. In this capacity, the Old City’s historical Jaffa gate (a main entrance to the Old City) was examined as a case study.

SAYA’s approach was to view the boundaries of the Old City beyond its walls in order to enable a careful implementation of security facilities around it. By this, the visual and perceptual interference with the historical landscape is kept to minimum and the access to the gates themselves can be maintained as it is today. Within this framework, SAYA has developed a planning concept for the entire Old City, a movement and process map for passengers, and a specific series of design adjustments for the Jaffa gate area. A crossing terminal was included beneath the existing entrance plaza, and the security requirements were carefully applied to it.