Urban acupuncture and the ecological transportation hub, Ramallah, Palestine

Abstract

Urban Acupuncture, a term foiled by Barcelonan architect and urbanist Manuel de Sola Morales, aims at identifying weak or sensitive spots in the city that are left untreated or marginalized in terms of social, economic and ecological factors. Those spots are then treated using urban acupuncture by developing small scale alternatives to help release the stress of the city, similar to that of traditional Chinese acupuncture, and by that creating a rebel effect that functions on a larger urban context. [1] This project will address the identification of the one of several parcels of public lands of the city of Ramallah for the design of an ecological public transportation hub within the existing city fabric. This parcel shall function as a part of the series of spots selected within the city in order to achieve a sustainable urban environment. Using the GIS data present about the transportation of the city of Ramallah, the types of lands, and their locations will help us in pinpointing the main spot for the transportation hub in the city that can be of use to our study. “GIS helps highlight the transportation system's reach, coverage, modal relationships, key corridors, and relationship to our nation's economic activity and environment”. (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, 2012)