MAKAN Volume 2 - The Right to a Spatial Narrative (2010)

In states that experience national and ethnic conflicts, the “space” is usually an expression of the official and privileged narrative of the dominant group. The dominant narrative, and the memory to which it is attached, are preserved and entrenched by spatial planning and urban design, among other things. In the Israeli context, the space of the state primarily reflects the Zionist ideological narrative. This narrative comprises stories and images such as the “tabula rasa” (the blank slate) and “making the desert bloom,” which are actually expressions of dispossession and control.

In states that experience national and ethnic conflicts, the “space” is usually an expression of the official and privileged narrative of the dominant group. This is particularly the case when the confrontations between the parties to the conflict exhibit characteristics of colonialism. The dominant narrative, and the memory to which it is attached, are preserved and entrenched by spatial planning and urban design, among other things. In the Israeli context, the space of the state primarily reflects the Zionist ideological narrative. This narrative comprises stories and images such as the “tabula rasa” (the blank slate) and “making the desert bloom,” which are actually expressions of dispossession and control.

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Contents:

 

Introduction - The Editors
Excerpts from the oral response of the planning authorities to Adalah’s objection to “Partial Regional Master Plan” delivered at a hearing held on 2 July 2008