After the recent Jerusalem elections Green Prophet hailed the new Mayor Barkat for placing an environmentalist so prominently on his list. Jerusalem Mayor Barkat not long ago presented his master plan for the city for the next two decades, and top on his list is to green the city.
His plan focuses on environmentally friendly construction as well as the use of solar panels, water recycling equipment, “green” roofing and other material for construction of public, commercial, industrial, residential and hotel buildings.
A team of city architects and engineers will work together on the project with local and international experts in the field.
“Since entering office, we have worked diligently to adjust the planning that was already in process in order to reflect our vision to stop the negative migration of residents from the city and to accelerate economic development in the coming years,” Barkat explained.
It seems to be a world-wide trend to use environmental technology stimulating economic growth. However this plan seems to have been in the works for nearly a decade.
But it’s not only to stimulate the economy. The plan also calls for five metropolitan parks surrounding Jerusalem in a green strip that allows for a variety of leisure and recreational activities, including: extreme sports, picnic areas, a lake, hiking trails, and others.
Ah Jerusalem. The Holy “green” city.
Arwa, the NYTimes actually covered that exact issue here this morning: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/world/middleeast/10jerusalem.html?_r=1&hp
“The plan, parts of which have been outsourced to a private group that is simultaneously buying up Palestinian property for Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem, has drawn almost no public or international scrutiny. However, certain elements related to it — the threatened destruction of unauthorized Palestinian housing in the redevelopment areas, for example — have brought widespread condemnation.”
Are these the five metropolitan parks around Jerusalem which ‘require’ the demolition of 92 homes in Silwan??
sounds more like greenwash to me…