IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Jerusalem, an ancient resilient city with a Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Armenian population is located on the edge of a desert. Recent urban renewal driven by earthquake preventive regulation and population growth, matched by infrastructure renewal of public space and new light rail network lines are transforming the city. Affecting neighborhood character, city skyline and traditional communities, raising issues of preservation, community resilience and climate change. The speaker, a Yale graduate, a Jerusalem urban planner through public participation, shares an insider’s view of these processes, that transform Jerusalem from an historic city to a metropolis of high-rises. The city of Urfa (‘city of Prophets’) in SE Turkey, bridges the Anatolian and Arabian peninsulas, with an ancient history that connect it to Abraham’s times. Home to a Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, Syrian and Arab population, it is primarily based on agriculture. Its extreme weather, combined with climate change, expose it to flooding, drought, extreme heat and injustice. A recent earthquake exposed gaps in governance, financing and climate change resilience efforts. The speaker, a researcher at MIT and native of Mesopotamia in the Urfa region, will offer an insider’s view of the processes that threaten so many indigenous communities in climate change and natural disasters. The session will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the complexities and challenges of urban renewal in historic cities like Jerusalem and Urfa, with a focus on how policy changes, and infrastructural modernization affect local communities, preservation efforts of cultural heritage, and climate resilience. The session will include short sections of presentations, discussions and Q&A. We anticipate using online tools to generate and support public involvement and discussion, giving the audience both the feel of public participation on these cities, and to raise issues for discussion, related to the topic.