Ruaa Jawdat Yagkhmour: Between Domination and Liberation: Exploring Paradoxes in Urban Planning Practices in the West Bank, Palestine

Supervisor: Dr Irit Katz

Research overview:

While spatial planning is often linked to global economic and urban development, this research delves into its unique roles within power dynamics in a highly complex political environment. Focusing on the case of Palestine, the research examines the paradoxical nature of spatial planning by analysing its interaction with power. Specifically, it investigates how planning can function both as a mechanism of colonial domination and as a potential avenue for decoloniality. The research seeks to uncover how planning influences and is influenced by political interests and forces, exploring its strategic impact and assessing how it can either support or hinder community autonomy and dependence

Biography:

Funded by the ESRC DTP and Cambridge Trust scholarships, Ruaa is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in Architecture. An awardee of both the Chevening and Cambridge Trust scholarships, she holds an MSc in Engineering Project Management from the University of Leeds and an MPhil in Architecture and Urban Studies from the University of Cambridge. Before obtaining her master’s degrees, Ruaa was selected as one of the top 100 students in the MENA region with entrepreneurial skills and joined the Leadership and Management program at Indiana University, USA. Professionally, Ruaa has over 8 years of experience in urban planning and project management in Palestine, working with private companies, international organisations and NGOs.