In 2050, Jerusalem will be the divided capital of two states.
It is divided by mutual consensus.
A consensus that is based on co-existence by clarity of separation.
This in order to guarantee autonomous development of both communities.
The Israeli policy of separation-to-avoid-friction has lead to a contemporary form of apartheid. Segregation of every type of space is leading towards a functional mode of separation. This by means of walled enclosures, roadblocks, checkpoints, separate roads or roads divided by a wall, but above all separate capital investment. At the same time, the Israeli provide the Palestinians with tunnels, bypasses and special routes which does not compromise Israeli security.
This in order to provide 'free' passage through Israeli occupied territory. This functional mode of separation is the basis for our vision for 2050. Based on the assumption that Israel will not retreat from East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the future because of economic, strategic, historical, religious, natural resources and demographic reasons. Our proposal is a study of what would happen if we bring this separation to a higher level, to adopt the current development as a strategy.
We super-impose a segregated network of new infrastructure enabling mobility and development along its different axis and centres.
In a region where the most obvious and simple idea can be the most radical if not the most utopian but at the same time the most effective: a high-speed rail network.
Connecting along a North-South axis; East Jerusalem with Amman-Damascus-Beirut and Medina, Mecca and Jeddah, and along an East-West axis; East Jerusalem with Cairo, Gaza, Baghdad and Tehran. West Jerusalem will be connected with Tel Aviv and Haifa.
