Situation
Informal Vertical Densification
At The Surface
When this thesis refers to Kafr Aqab, it is not the Palestinian village established in the 6th century, but rather the phenomenon emerging in an area sandwiched between the Separation Wall and the city boundary of Jerusalem.
It only takes passing Kafr Aqab to notice the chaos. The Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research (2018) broadly summarizes the situation as follows:
Population
An estimate of 77,800. The exact number is unknown due to the government’s neglect of the neighborhood, where it provides no services (including census) and construction is informal.
About third of households are mixed-ID between Palestinians holding West Bank and Jerusalem IDs.
Median Age is 18.2 - half the population is under 18.
No Law Enforcement
Informal, unsupervised dense construction
High-risk development and a housing bubble
Lack of security
Rise in drug use
Absence of Services and Infrastructure
Insufficient water supply (only 2 days a week by the Palestinian Water Authority).
Lack of internal roads and sidewalks.
Inadequate sewer system.
Poor sanitation and waste management.
Lack of Public Facilities
Inadequate education facilities.
No healthcare facilities and limited emergency and rescue services.
Original drone photo credit: Maliha Zughayar. 2018.
With all those issues residents of Kafr Aqab are facing, the densification process still persists. Palestinian Jerusalemites, especially younger adults, are still establishing their homes in Kafr Aqab for multiple reasons:
An estimate of one third of families residing in Kafr Aqab are made up of a Jerusalem ID holder married to a West Bank ID holder. Palestinians with West Bank IDs cannot live in Jerusalem while Palestinians with Jerusalem ID absolutely must live within Jerusalem’s city boundary to maintain their residency status under the ‘Center of Life’ law, leaving Kafr Aqab the only place they can be together.
Due to numerous colonial policies and tactics enacted by the Israeli government against Palestinians in Jerusalem, many Palestinian Jerusalemites find themselves lacking the means to establish a home in Jerusalem. Between the cost of living and salary gap between Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, Palestinian Jerusalemites increasingly find themselves not being able to afford to live in neighborhoods within the Separation Wall. Moreover, building permits are extremely expensive and limited to Palestinians by city planning authorities. And with them being forced to prove they reside within the city boundary of Jerusalem, they are forced to move to areas beyond the wall such as Kafr Aqab. .
