To move towards a just Jerusalem and a city that encourages peace in 2050, there is a need to redefine governance in the city at the municipality level. There is no escaping or avoiding the prominent role that the right to religion plays in the development of the city, and for this I think that it is integral that localities are encouraged to interact and cooperate as they all have a “right to the city”, so as to avoid a post-Fordist spatial construction of Jerusalem based off of religious identity or ethnic affiliation, where different groups claim or contest certain parts of the city, that can lead to conflict or discord.
There are current governed localities (Minhalots), which are neighborhood councils that represent community views, but could also have the potential to promote separate development and not encourage overall social cohesion due to current religious separation. I think that great care should be taken with the development of Minhalots, zones, or other demarcations, instead fully encouraging and developing cooperation and bonds between different localities based off of secular interests, such as business, education, health etc. I propose a kind of integrated communal zoning structure, where each locality will be pushed to depend on another for development, survival, and representation – thus pushing people in different areas to work together for a common public good, and hopefully enforcing stronger networks between the different demographies in Jerusalem.
