Dublin Core
Titre
Rehabilitating camp cities : Community-driven planning for urbanised refugee camps
Sujet
refugee, urban planning, participation, refugee camp
Description
Focussing on Palestine refugee camps in the Near East, this dissertation aims to shed light on the potential relevance of urban planning to refugee camp environments worldwide. In particular, there is a focus on the role architects and urban planners can play in facilitating participatory planning processes as well as providing guidance and expertise in the development of a spatial vision for Camp Cities.
Part I – The Urbanisation of Refugee Camps as a Global Challenge
The first part of the dissertation provides an overview of global phenomenon of refugee camp urbanisation. Notions of “Camp-City”, “Virtual City” and other conceptual models developed by international scholars in relation to camp urbanisation will be introduced and critically discussed in relation to existing tools and policy guidelines developed by the main agents of international refugee protection. The chapter focuses on debates and discussions that have led to the recent revival of “developmental” and “rights-based” approaches to UNHCR policies and programmes. However, the brief analysis of actual situations in three exemplary African camps reveals the many political hurdles and obstacles, which prevent a full implementation of a developmental and rights based approach in practice.
Part II – Palestine Camp Cities: Case Studies of Urbanised Refugee Camps in the Near East
The second part of the dissertation introduces Palestine refugee camps, the main focus of this dissertation and explains in detail the factors that have led to a spectacular and perhaps unparalleled urbanisation process. The discussion centres on the results of three holistic case studies of exemplary Palestine refugee camps in the West Bank. Analytical tools and methodologies from urban research in informal settlement contexts are applied to analyse land use, zoning, degrees of density and congestion, building safety, infrastructure and the camp’s physical integration into its urban, suburban or rural context. The spatial-physical situation analysis is complemented by an analysis of urbanisation in social and cultural terms including the camp’s institutions, leadership as well as gender roles, internal and external conflicts and resolution models.
Part III – Camp Improvement Planning: Piloting Community-driven
Urban Rehabilitation for Palestine Camp Cities
The third part provides a critical reflection on the pilot project in participatory camp improvement conducted by the UNRWA-Stuttgart planning team between 2007 and 2008. Successes and conflicts of planning process are being analysed, followed by critical comments on key outstanding issues that need to be resolved before camp improvement can be fully launched in all camps. Three speculative scenarios are introduced: A worst case scenario which predicts a catastrophic future for Camp Cities in case the camp improvement initiative or its successors will fail. A second scenario speculates on how successful camp improvement might prevent the gloomy predictions of scenario one as a “best possible compromise” in the context of an enduring refugee crisis. While camp rehabilitation cannot and should not substitute a long-overdue political settlement, in the intermediate term, the traditional notion of “Refugee camps” could be radically redefined in the interest of those suffering under the extreme congestion, poverty and dehumanised environment of the present. The final scenario describes a situation in which “peace breaks out”. How might the reality of a negotiated peaceful settlement ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict impact on the Camp Cities?
Part IV – Conclusion
In the final part of the dissertation the author draws more general conclusions on the applicability of the CIP methodology to refugee camps beyond the Middle East, arguing that Palestine camps – which are both, the most urbanised, and also the best-funded – should lead the search for innovative approaches to camp urbanisation worldwide. Facing increasing protracted and urbanised camp situations, the UNHCR and other actors of the international refuge regime could benefit from the Palestinian experience. The application of the Palestine model of integrated, community driven urban planning to other camps that have not yet reached the critical levels of congestion could prevent a “disaster in the making”. Furthermore, the CIP model provides lessons which can be useful to non-refugee contexts such as informally developed, congested and impoverished urban settings in the Middle Eastern region and beyond, and help to champion notions such as grass-root participation, community empowerment, and strategic planning.
Part I – The Urbanisation of Refugee Camps as a Global Challenge
The first part of the dissertation provides an overview of global phenomenon of refugee camp urbanisation. Notions of “Camp-City”, “Virtual City” and other conceptual models developed by international scholars in relation to camp urbanisation will be introduced and critically discussed in relation to existing tools and policy guidelines developed by the main agents of international refugee protection. The chapter focuses on debates and discussions that have led to the recent revival of “developmental” and “rights-based” approaches to UNHCR policies and programmes. However, the brief analysis of actual situations in three exemplary African camps reveals the many political hurdles and obstacles, which prevent a full implementation of a developmental and rights based approach in practice.
Part II – Palestine Camp Cities: Case Studies of Urbanised Refugee Camps in the Near East
The second part of the dissertation introduces Palestine refugee camps, the main focus of this dissertation and explains in detail the factors that have led to a spectacular and perhaps unparalleled urbanisation process. The discussion centres on the results of three holistic case studies of exemplary Palestine refugee camps in the West Bank. Analytical tools and methodologies from urban research in informal settlement contexts are applied to analyse land use, zoning, degrees of density and congestion, building safety, infrastructure and the camp’s physical integration into its urban, suburban or rural context. The spatial-physical situation analysis is complemented by an analysis of urbanisation in social and cultural terms including the camp’s institutions, leadership as well as gender roles, internal and external conflicts and resolution models.
Part III – Camp Improvement Planning: Piloting Community-driven
Urban Rehabilitation for Palestine Camp Cities
The third part provides a critical reflection on the pilot project in participatory camp improvement conducted by the UNRWA-Stuttgart planning team between 2007 and 2008. Successes and conflicts of planning process are being analysed, followed by critical comments on key outstanding issues that need to be resolved before camp improvement can be fully launched in all camps. Three speculative scenarios are introduced: A worst case scenario which predicts a catastrophic future for Camp Cities in case the camp improvement initiative or its successors will fail. A second scenario speculates on how successful camp improvement might prevent the gloomy predictions of scenario one as a “best possible compromise” in the context of an enduring refugee crisis. While camp rehabilitation cannot and should not substitute a long-overdue political settlement, in the intermediate term, the traditional notion of “Refugee camps” could be radically redefined in the interest of those suffering under the extreme congestion, poverty and dehumanised environment of the present. The final scenario describes a situation in which “peace breaks out”. How might the reality of a negotiated peaceful settlement ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict impact on the Camp Cities?
Part IV – Conclusion
In the final part of the dissertation the author draws more general conclusions on the applicability of the CIP methodology to refugee camps beyond the Middle East, arguing that Palestine camps – which are both, the most urbanised, and also the best-funded – should lead the search for innovative approaches to camp urbanisation worldwide. Facing increasing protracted and urbanised camp situations, the UNHCR and other actors of the international refuge regime could benefit from the Palestinian experience. The application of the Palestine model of integrated, community driven urban planning to other camps that have not yet reached the critical levels of congestion could prevent a “disaster in the making”. Furthermore, the CIP model provides lessons which can be useful to non-refugee contexts such as informally developed, congested and impoverished urban settings in the Middle Eastern region and beyond, and help to champion notions such as grass-root participation, community empowerment, and strategic planning.
Créateur
Misselwitz, Philipp
Éditeur
Universität Stuttgart
Date
2009
Contributeur
Ribbert, Eckhart. Adviser
Langue
en
Type
Thesis
Identifiant
http://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/opus/volltexte/2009/3949/
http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/items/show/957
http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/archive/files/4983890fd2d3365b825041043121384d.jpg