Arc Project Commentary
The New York Times
Cover Story – Arts & Leisure – May 15, 2005
“A California architect and political naïf has proposed an elegant plan for a new state. Against all odds, people are listening.”
“. . . a reimagining not only of landscape, . . . but also of the Palestinian experience.”
"Mr. Suisman. . . posits a state of motion. He calls it 'the Arc'. . . a glimpse, seen so rarely these days, of a reconciling land, post-conflict, post-occupation, post-terrorism."
Libération
Paris, July 11, 2005
“A utopia anchored in reality”.
The Independent
London, May 24, 2005
“It's a futuristic concept as stunning as it is implausible. . .It may be no more than a dream but true progress rarely comes without starting in a dream.”
“...a particularly well-designed future dream...the Arc is meant to not only become the physical backbone of the future Palestine, but also the economic life-line. This is sorely needed...”
The Jerusalem Post
Jerusalem, April 28, 2005
“The report, which offers a 10-year plan to improve all sectors of Palestinian life, . . . looks beyond conflict resolution and explores the necessary elements for a successful Palestinian state.”
Al-Quds
Jerusalem, May 28, 2005
“This huge project is certainly intended to put Palestine on an equal footing with the developed countries as to modern transportation and high-tech communications. It is also evident that it helps to document the lack of communication among the Palestinian provinces, especially between Gaza and the West Bank.”
“…the news about this project is receiving positive and encouraging feedback from the Palestinian people…”
Ha'aretz
Israel, April 25, 2005
“Even a total pessimist can draw optimism from the vision of the Arc.”
Orange County Register
May 2, 2005
“ . . . a refreshingly concrete and comprehensive proposal for building a successful Palestinian state.”
The Sun
Baltimore, June 9, 2005
“Envisioning [the Arc] transforms the ideological construct of a Palestinian state into a plausible, geographic reality.”
KCRW Politics of Culture
(Santa Monica), May 31, 2005
“Until this moment, when Doug Suisman came up with something, no one had actually designed a map to show the world, to show the Palestinians, what in fact the future could look like.”
“Possibly the greatest redevelopment challenge facing the world today, yet one that is hardly ever discussed, is that of rebuilding Palestine. Israel’s planned withdrawal from Gaza and four West Bank settlements seem to beg the question, ‘What will the new country of Palestine look like?’. The Rand Corporation, an independent, non-profit think tank, sought to answer this question...The winning plan has been presented to the White House, the European Union, and the World Bank, among others. Conceived by urban designer Doug Suisman, the plan is especially elegant in that it focuses not on some eventual peace agreement on a state’s boundaries, but on how life might be lived the day after peace—on ‘the patterns of human life as shaped by its setting’.”
NPR: All Things Considered
Washington, April 27, 2005
“The international community's 'road map' for peace in the Middle East no [has] a rail map too. . . as well as plans for telecommunications and other essential services.”
International Herald Tribune
Paris, May 17, 2005 - worldwide
“When Suisman finished a recent presentation to the Palestinians in Ramallah, on the West Bank, Jihad al Wazir, the deputy finance minister, broke the silence by saying he had tears in his eyes. ‘I was very moved’, al Wazir said later. ‘It had that beauty of simplicity of design, and coherence, and comprehensiveness...a unifying vision for a future Palestinian state.’’
Foreign Affairs
Washington, September/October 2005
“The Arc. . . is one of those rare planning documents, enriched with comparative data and meaningful illustrations, that both instructs and persuades. . . The RAND corporation has done itself proud. . .”
Detroit Free Press
Detroit, May 1, 2005
“Whatever their needs, from transportation to an Internet connection, Palestinians would hook into the Arc to make it happen.”
“If the environment is perceived as stable and safe, tourists and pilgrims from [other] countries will come, delivering perhaps the quickest infusion of money to both the new Palestinian state and to Israel.”
This Week in Palestine
Jerusalem, January 2006
“Earlier this year RAND made public a proposal suggesting a vision of how the Palestinian state could be designed and developed, something resembling a master plan or grand scheme. This proposal, which includes the transportation link called the “Arc,”can serve as a positive contribution to Palestinian planning...The proposal is comprehensive and will induce major development and create economic viability...What is most attractive about the plan is that it will allow for the needed approaches to be implemented”.
Hartford Courant
Hartford, January 20, 2006
“Audacious...elegantly beautiful and simple plan for creation of a Palestinian state...just what Connecticut needs if it, along with larger region of New England, is going to grow and prosper”.
Israel Policy Forum
Washington, April 29, 2005
“ . . . the projects RAND envisions are absolutely essential if there is to be lasting peace.”
Moshe Safdie, Architect Boston
“I like the boldness of the thinking and its powerful suggestion that an intense infrastructure spine can become the lifeline of a Palestinian community and can help overcome the geographic disconnection between the parts.”
The Los Angeles Times
May 10, 2005
“. . . the signposts [the RAND study] reveal[s] are important and deserve study by both Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Independent neighbors at peace, no matter how cold that peace, would go far toward bringing stability to a part of the world where it has long been lacking.”
August 24, 2005
“I’m very high on [the Arc]...as a framework for dealing with issues in a productive way that has a real opportunity for success, it’s worthy of very serious consideration” - UCLA Professor Steven Spiegel
LA Architect
Los Angeles, December 2006
“A bold plan...the awards jury was unanimous on this entry, whose strength derives from the simplicity of its diagram and its depth of research... elegant, clear...It’s amazing that this investigation is even happening. With a line that becomes an important seam in the landscape, the project integrates complex systems in an unprecedented and breathtaking way.”
American Institute of Architects
Washington, January 2006
“Clear and compelling framework plan...conveyed with extraordinary sensitivity...a visionary plan built on logical approach to infrastructure creating immeasurable hope for a displaced people and nation.”
WorldArchitectureNews.com
London - May 2005
“Visionary Scheme for Palestine— Urban Planner’s Vision Could Provide Solution to Middle East Conflict”
“Could architecture provide the answer to one of the 21st Century’s major international disputes? Suisman Urban Design...have come up with a radical solution for the creation of new Palestine including futuristic infrastructure plans linking the new state to regional transport hubs including Cairo. Core of their proposal is ‘The Arc’, a 130 mile green corridor sweeping through the West Bank and looping into Southern Gaza. It would provide a fast rail and aqueduct. Initial reactions are that the Palestinians love it. . .”
Architecture
New York, January 2006
“Clear, functional logic...a great project.”
New York, October 11, 2006
“Design Meets Diplomacy”
“Over the past three years, while teams of politicians, lawyers, and international negotiators have attempted to hammer out a sovereign Palestinian state—and, more importantly, an eventual peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians—Los Angeles architect and urban planner Doug Suisman has quietly focused on a largely overlooked aspect of the conflict-ridden issue: What might Palestine look like after a peace accord is signed? His answer is the Arc, a proposed urban blueprint of a Palestinian state that enables fluid movement between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
New York, April 3, 2006
“It’s a concept of breathtaking sweep and simplicity, yet it’s surprisingly practical...the elegance of Suisman’s idea -- and its ready comprehensibility -- has drawn worldwide press and political attention.”
Madrid, September 19, 2005
“...Palestine May Have the Shape of an Arc - A U.S. planner has designed the possible structure of a viable Palestinian state if peace is achieved...to read the one hundred pages of “The Arc” arouses the imagination.”
American Planning Association
Los Angeles, July 2005
LA-APA readers will be interested in this book by California architect Doug Suisman, whose vision and ideas were featured in the New York Times. In the book, “The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State,” Mr. Suisman and a team of RAND researchers present groundbreaking proposals for the infrastructure and urban design of the new state of Palestine.
Washington, Summer 2007
The excitement, enthusiasm, and self-belief of the research team are tangible, and the production values are of the highest quality; superb color graphics bring the Arc vividly to life. The concept is also put forth in high-quality DVD presentation that accompanies the book: for anyone engaged in teaching Palestinian politics, it can provide an unusually uplifting resource. Importantly, it has also been translated into Arabic, presumably with a view to gaining traction within Palestinian planning circles. Happily, the authors remain sensitive, and repeatedly underline the importance of Palestinian choice, local input, and design...”.
October 2006 - New York
“The Arc is a bold and simple - even elegant - solution.”
London, July 31, 2005
Richard Seymour & Ed Blanche
...In this atmosphere it’s no wonder that a recent proposal for a “Palestinian State” drafted by the RAND Corporation got so much support among members of the Palestinian Authority. Known as “The Arc”, the proposal presents itself as “a concrete symbol of Palestinian aspirations” and a “model for sustainable cities and countryside.”
The RAND Plan, as it has become known, calls for linking West Bank and Gazan cities via a rail system, which moves in the shape of an arc, down through the West Bank’s eastern slope and central highlands to the southern Negev and on to all the Gazan cities. While some Palestinians have detailed objections to the plan, many others argue it is the most farsighted, concrete, technically detailed plan they have ever seen.
Most agree it is more than they could have dreamed of: a world in which a Gazan could step onto a modern, air conditioned train and be whisked to Nablus in under one hour. With some adjustments, they say, they would welcome US government support in order to implement such a blueprint to a workable Palestinian state. While the RAND Cooperation is a private enterprise that hired urban planners to draw up this plan over a two year period, it remains to be seen what the Bush administration’s position is with regard to the RAND Plan. The Israelis have not been enthusiastic, but many Palestinians feel time ticking away and the time to produce results quickly has arrived. Failure to act will see the Palestinian political scene radicalising fast. A state, even a railway state may be their best viable and available option - for now.
Berkeley, December 2008
“An amazingly thoughtful project...so positive...beautiful...very, very powerful...What’s been done here is to discover a form in a whole territory - a nation - which probably wasn’t understood before...with The Arc, you have nation-building through design and culture...It pulls it all together in a stunning way...To give that degree of clarity is really a major contribution.”
“As a visionary exercise grounded in research, the jury praised the project for its use of planning to ‘move the bar.’ Since its initial release in 2005, it has had an overwhelmingly positive reception, as evidenced by reviews in more than 200 media outlets worldwide. By raising typical planning concerns in a dispassionate way and placing the needs of a future Palestine at the center of discussion, it offers an object of hope to all who have sought peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Washington D.C., Jauary 2, 2009
“Daring to imagine peace: a bold plan for Palestine’s infrastructure and growth. As I write, Gaza is under intense bombardment, over 400 residents have been killed, and things could hardly look worse for Palestine. But it also seems important and timely to recall a bold “what if” plan developed three years ago by Suisman Urban Design for the RAND Corporation that dares to imagine what the role of transit and urban planning could be in a peaceful and independent Palestinian state. The winner of all sorts of planning awards, The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State is built upon a new transit corridor linking the major West Bank cities to each other and to Gaza...We can dream, at least. And I’m glad the principals behind this intriguing, if tragically elusive, goal have been doing just that.
Richard Gluckman, Architect
New York
“Beautifully simple. Simply beautiful."