An-Najah National University and the Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) opened an exhibition for the preliminary designs of the Public Parks Project in the West Bank and Gaza which were prepared by the students of An-Najah Department of Architectural Engineering with funding from USAID.

The opening ceremony was held at Al-Qasim Palace of An-Najah University, the home of its Urban and Regional Planning Center, and was attended by An-Najah University President Prof. Rami Hamdallah, Dean of the College of Engineering Dr. Riyad Abdel Kareem, Dr. Iman Al Amad and Dr. Iman Al Asi from the Department of Architecture, Dean of the College of Fine Arts Dr. Mohammed Atta, and the Director of Public Relations Mr. Saed Abu-Hijleh.

The CHF was represented by its Country Director Mrs. Lana Abu-Hijleh, the Manager of the Public Parks project Engineer Nibal Abu Lawi, Project Coordinator Engineer Abdallah Al Jamel, Societal Participation Specialist Mrs. Malak Masri, and Palestinian Artist Jamal Afghani.

It is worth mentioning that the idea for creating the Public Parks Project in Palestine came as a genuine response to the deteriorating social and economic living conditions and to the noticeable lack in public parks services which is directly linked to population growth and the resultant urban expansion of cities and villages; an expansion that in turn resulted in the shrinking of green areas and open spaces depriving Palestinian residents from the services and actives offered by public parks and gardens.

The project is unique in its approach since it depends largely on a methodology of social participation in all of its stages, which will contribute to the process of social empowerment to participate effectively in development decisions on the local level.

The project aims to build sixteen public parks in different areas in the West Bank and Gaza. These parks will be built according to specific criteria that will include accessibility, environmental protection and public safety standards, and architectural designs that are in harmony with the natural landscape. The project is expected to benefit 81 thousand residents and to provide 40 thousand employment days.

At the end of the ceremony, certificates and appreciation gifts were granted to the students who won the contest for the best designs approved by the special referee committee of the project.