JORDAN RIVER PEACE PARK

Designers: EcoPeace Middle East (Jordan, Israel, Palestine), Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (Israel), Yale University (United States); Collaborators: Students and professionals (Jordan, Palestine, Israel) with community participation (Jordan, Israel); Location: Jordan, Israel; Years: 2008–present

The Jordan River Peace Park is a proposed 2,000-acre park that spans a culturally, historically, and ecologically significant area of land in the river valley shared by Jordan and Israel. With the aim of encouraging cross-border cooperation in an effort to protect an ailing common resource—the polluted Jordan River and its surroundings—design concepts were developed jointly between a peacebuilding organization, university design teams, and local communities. These site-specific concepts incorporate historic structures, ancient ruins, and rehabilitated landscape elements that offer sanctuary to migrating birds, protect threatened habitats, and strengthen the region’s economy by attracting new visitors.

Image: Map illustrating bird migration along the Jordan River Valley by Diana Balmori, Yale Urban Design Workshop, 2008; Credit: Urban Design Workshop, Yale School of Architecture 2008