“Planned Neglect”: Urbanism in the Musrara Neighborhood and Along Jerusalem’s Seam Line

Musrara is located at the heart of Jerusalem's former Seam Zone, a "no-man's-land" separating Israeli and Jordanian areas from 1948 to 1967. Today, the neighborhood lies along Bar Lev Road, the main route tracing this historic boundary. Musrara holds multiple overlapping cultural, historical, and spatial layers, where East and West, past and present intersect. It is more than just a neighborhood; it is a unique, transitional space encouraging encounters between diverse communities and ideas. Having grown up in Musrara, I find that the more I explore it, the harder it is to define. This project examines Musrara through personal, urban, historical, and geographical perspectives, aiming to offer a fresh vision of Jerusalem, where marginal spaces become vibrant hubs of creativity and urban renewal