The Palestinian Placemaking Network is a professional community-driven initiative officially launched in November 2024 during the 12th World Urban Forum in Cairo. It is part of the Arab Amaken Placemaking Network across the Arab region, and a member of the international PlacemakingX network.
What is the Initiative?
The network seeks to create a collaborative, open space for Palestinian professionals working in placemaking and the development of public spaces. Its goal is to foster professional and community knowledge, facilitate the exchange of experiences, and produce participatory tools that empower communities to reclaim their right to the city and achieve spatial justice.
The initiative aims to transcend the imposed geographical and political fragmentation faced by Palestinians, by cultivating a practice rooted in people, identity, and belonging—rather than geography.
The platform is volunteer-led, with participants from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Palestinian communities within the 1948 territories. Initial foundational activities were self-funded and volunteer-driven by a core team currently made up of 5 members from Manbat and 6 others from within the network, in addition to broad support from the local community. We are currently working to build strategic partnerships locally and regionally, and to secure institutional support that will enable us to grow and sustain our work.
Vision and Mission
Our Vision:
To build a committed Palestinian professional community grounded in spatial and social justice—reimagining Palestinian spaces while promoting belonging, resilience, and equity.
Our Mission:
To develop tools and practices in placemaking that are informed by local knowledge, community needs, and the complex political and social realities Palestinians face. This is done through collaborative work, capacity-building, and the continuous exchange and accumulation of knowledge.
Manbat’s Role in Founding the Network
The Manbat Foundation leads this effort as a pioneering youth-led organization based in Jerusalem, dedicated to linking research with practice and impact evaluation in public spaces. The initiative emerged from a field research experience centered on Rockefeller Park (Karm al-Khalili) in Jerusalem. This work led to the development of an “Impact Management” model for assessing public spaces based on community needs and context-sensitive success indicators tailored to Palestinian sociopolitical realities.
Call for Partnership and Support
Given the multilayered challenges facing Palestinian spaces—including spatial exclusion, geographic fragmentation, and social marginalization—initiatives like the Palestinian Placemaking Network are not only timely, but essential. The network’s work goes beyond urban design; it is about rebuilding trust, fostering collective agency, and connecting knowledge with practice in a shifting and complex landscape.
We believe that achieving true spatial justice requires the concerted efforts of professionals, local communities, and allies committed to sustainable change. With that, we invite institutions and individuals who share our values to join us as partners—through financial support, knowledge exchange, or professional mentorship.
Any contribution made is an investment in a Palestinian-led effort powered by a dedicated, young professional generation. This initiative aims to redefine our relationship as Palestinians with our spaces—strengthening belonging and community resilience through participatory tools and knowledge rooted in our context.
Partners
Amaken – place for life , The place Institute , Placemaking Mexico, Placemaking X , Archi-net
Eitar , Hana Sham Scent , Tectura , Asas foundation , Palestinian Heritage museum
