Open Spaces in Arab Municipalities
Promoting green open spaces in Arab local authorities via community-driven planning
About the Initiative
Arab municipalities in Israel are in dire need of more open spaces. Research shows that high-quality, accessible and safe open spaces for public use contribute to a community’s mental and physical well-being. A shortage of open and accessible land reflects a combination of complex land ownership structures, intensive development and limited public infrastructure.
The initiative to advance and develop open spaces in Arab localities is based on a social-community approach that involves residents in all stages of the planning, development and maintenance of open spaces. It promotes models of community partnership, including accumulating local knowledge (‘stories of place’), identifying needs and values, active participation in planning processes, and encouraging local efforts to promote and operate open spaces.
Al Bayader is guiding the implementation of several demonstration projects in a range of localities, to validate methods and create examples to analyse and emulate.
