The official plan

On February 2004, after years of continuous struggle, the government recognized Ein Hawd – or rather 80 dunams of it, a very insufficient area for its present existence and its future development.

The total plan gives the village a total amount of land of 80 dunams (1 dunam = 1,000 square metres; 80,000 square metres), an area it has already outgrown. Of this, 13 dunams (13,000 square metres) in the village centre is considered a ‘military area’, so it cannot be developed at all.

Today, Ein Hawd has approximately 250 inhabitants and is part of the Hof Hakarmel jurisdiction area. The other localities in this jurisdiction area enjoy an average of 6 dunams (6,000 square metres) area per person, while Ein Hawd was awarded 0.36 dunams (360 square metres) per person in the plan – about one-twentieth of the average allocation. The designated area for the development of public spaces, open spaces and commerce is already occupied by homes that automatically become illegal with the approval of the master plan and may be demolished; if they are not demolished, the village has no space for the aforementioned activities.

The master plan doesn’t take into consideration large parts of the village; it leaves no space for future expansion, demographic growth, economic development, or future sustainability. Through the switch from unrecognized to recognized, the imposed master plan pushes this village further into a straitjacket of political planning.

FAST plan

Our reaction to the governmental plan was to initiate a new one.

Our plan aims at improving the villagers living conditions in the present and the near future. The necessity to do is important, both to Ein Hawd and to its surroundings.

Our plan takes in consideration the approved road and the existing built context of Ein Hawd.

Our plan respects the villagers’ system of land allocation and its distribution among them for housing and other spatial developments, as it is an efficient and democratic system.

Our plan respects the history and the heritage of the area, especially when considering its current landscape and the deterioration of land caused by over-breeding pine trees and fires.

Our plan respects Ein Hawd as a low rise, low density, rural village due to its geographical location, and recommends to keep it that way.

Our plan respects the love of the villagers for the land and nature, their agricultural techniques and tales.

Our strategic plan for the development of Ein Hawd, takes in consideration the necessity to break down the villagers social, cultural and economical isolation.

Due to the special location of Ein Hawd and to the countless hidden potentials of the village, we suggest to transform the village into a pilot and an example, and into the most beautiful Palestinian village in Israel.

Our final draft of the plan relates to the approved plan, to the local political constrains, and to the necessity to create a real change in the near future.