eyal weizman on the politics of verticality

In 2002, Tel Aviv-based architect Eyal Weizman posted his fascinating thesis on the politics of verticality at opendemocracy.net. This project is a remarkable analysis of the three-dimensional battle over the West Bank. Weizman’s declared goal is to explain the conflict through spatial terms, something that he hopes counters the complexity of the situation which, he argues, serves Israel politicians seeking to maintain the status quo. As he explains, West Bank settlements are built on hilltops to serve as “urban-scale optical devices” that overlook Palestinian communities below. Reading this project, we begin to wonder how other forms, more familiar forms of sprawl play political roles.


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In 2002, Tel Aviv-based architect Eyal Weizman posted his fascinating thesis on the politics of verticality at opendemocracy.net. This project is a remarkable analysis of the three-dimensional battle over the West Bank. Weizman’s declared goal is to explain the conflict through spatial terms, something that he hopes counters the complexity of the situation which, he argues, serves Israel politicians seeking to maintain the status quo. As he explains, West Bank settlements are built on hilltops to serve as “urban-scale optical devices” that overlook Palestinian communities below. Reading this project, we begin to wonder how other forms, more familiar forms of sprawl play political roles.


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