Jerusalem

some cities have never meant to be big metropolis. Europe, and in particular Italy, are full of them: Florence, Bologna, Verona etc. you could find them also in North America, Asia and actually everywhere. sometime even the capital cities are not the biggest one in the country, Bern, Brasilia, Yamoussoukro, Pretoria, Ottawa, even Washington DC and they all live good with it. i believe that it should be also the case of Jerusalem.

i guess no other city in the world is so influenced by political development ambitions as Jerusalem. an incredible damage for generations. the urban development after the reunification of the city in 1967 created a city that is almost completely detached from its historical context and its growing capacity. bulldozers shave the terrain of every hill around to allow new constructions making it the biggest city in Israel. this forced growing process is not only for political reasons though, it also serves to include more taxpayers within its territory since the city is also one of the poorest in the country (or the poorest among the big cities). the exodus of the ‘productive’ middle class and the fast growing population of social supported class, add another layer to this complicated urban reality, not talking about the inter religious and political conflicts.

a big population requires infrastructure. Some projects, like road n. 1, might do the job, but it ignores completely the old city and it cuts the city in its heart. nothing similar would be possible elsewhere. the transport terminals are on the western edges, leaving the old Turkish railway station near the old city abandoned. the city center is dieing and absurd phantom projects for foreigners invade it.
today as never before, Jerusalem longings the British mandate.