Responsible Party and Year Completed: RAND, 2005
Link: https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG327-2.html
Status: Completed
Contact: Ross Anthony – [email protected]; Shelly Culbertson – [email protected]
Executive Summary:
This Arc study explores the creation of infrastructure for a new Palestinian state, building on previous RAND analyses. It examines a new Palestinian state’s political, economic, social, resource, and environmental challenges, particularly with a rapidly growing population and potential refugee influx.
The study proposes the ‘Arc’, an innovative transportation system, as a central structure to address these challenges. This system would connect major cities and towns, providing a backbone for transportation, water, telecommunications, and energy infrastructure while preserving natural landscapes and promoting national cohesion.
A key aspect of the design was to have stations on the Arc located outside of major cities and connected to them by bus-rapid transit boulevards on which to accommodate population growth.
Short term priorities:
- Address the immediate housing needs due to high fertility rates and population growth. This includes constructing new housing units to accommodate the growing population and potential refugees.
- Begin the development of basic infrastructure like water, electricity, and sewerage systems, which are currently inadequate to meet the population’s needs.
- Create job opportunities for the burgeoning workforce, especially young people, in the face of limited employment prospects.
Short term priorities:
- Address the immediate housing needs due to high fertility rates and population growth. This includes constructing new housing units to accommodate the growing population and potential refugees.
- Begin the development of basic infrastructure like water, electricity, and sewerage systems, which are currently inadequate to meet the population’s needs.
- Create job opportunities for the burgeoning workforce, especially young people, in the face of limited employment prospects.
Long term priorities:
- Focus on constructing high-density residential areas to support the projected population increase, including refugees.
- Develop a long-term infrastructure strategy that includes transportation and utilities like water and electricity, telecommunications, and solid waste disposal.
- Address the need for economic diversification to create sustainable employment opportunities and mitigate the reliance on external job markets.
- Manage population growth to avoid urban sprawl while incorporating space for parks and the natural habitat.
Immediate Priorities / Proposed Next Steps:
- Start the phased implementation of the Arc, the proposed transportation corridor that includes mass transit systems, national aqueducts, and energy lines.
- Tackle challenges related to the carrying capacity, including water consumption, land use for agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
- Leverage the construction of the Arc and other infrastructure projects to provide immediate employment opportunities.