When an immigrant or refugee family moves to another country, they are leaving behind what is familiar and sentimental. In their travel bags they carry with them scents, smells and views of their old home. Having to adapt to a economic, political and spatial system not their own, immigrant identities can only accessorize their environment. While land cannot fit into a suitcase, knowledge of it certainly can. In the context of my Directed Independent Research Project (DIRP) for my masters program1, my goal is to strengthen the relationship between my test site in Ohio and precedent of Battir, Palestine. Moving beyond trauma and the asymmetric politics of the two worlds2, my hope is to convey Battir as a precedent but more importantly as a methodology.
Knowledge bank
“they tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds” -- Dinos Christianopoulos
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault3 preserves seeds from all across the world in the case of armageddon or nuclear fallout. Battir which is under threat from Israeli suburban settlements has implemented a similar strategy where their world renowned egglant heirloom seeds4 are preserved in trusted hands. Moreover, as a UNESCO world heritage site5, in 2015 the UN team meticulously surveyed Battir to prove in court the harm that an apartheid wall may have on the landscape. However, the exceptional beauty of Battir is contained to it’s location providing no enjoyment to the Palestinian diaspora or the world. Except for the few lucky visitors like myself who were able to bypass the apartheid security apparatus6, my field work in 2023 was in some ways smuggling contraband design in a suitcase.
Contrasting model
Battir as a methodology presents a model that’s sensitive to it’s own site but then useful as a world building tool (or technology?) applicable to new climates and cultures. Since the establishment of Israel on top of Palestine, militarized settlers and suburbs have shored up in Palestine and around Battir threatening the continuation of millennia old practices. The globalized practice of suburbs was developed and proliferated in the United States after WWII to create housing for veterans returning from the war. Created with the nuclear family in mind, suburbs were optimized for construction, transactions and tax collection. On the other hand, Battir’s ancient history which spans multiple empires was gradually formed under much different circumstances. With the rising threat of displacement and heightened political tensions of the region, cultivating and blooming Palestinian culture outside of Palestine becomes paramount to fulfill the diasporas right of return7. Retrofitting Battir’s terrain, infrastructure, agricultural and lifestyle practices in a Midwestern context should not only benefit the diaspora (despite the centrality of the argument) but expose Americans to new spatial and cultural possibilities.
Planting seeds
"dear god, i come from two countries. one is thirsty. the other is on fire. both need water." --warsan shire, "what they did yesterday afternoon"
The state building process of Palestine is occurring on multiple levels and places around the world8, but also right here in Ohio. Major cities such as Toledo, Columbus, Cinncinati and Cleveland are known for sizable and active Palestinian communities which have played a leading role in shaping the culture and politics of other Arab American identities in the region. The chairman of the Noor Islamic Cultural Center who is a Palestinian himself developed a network of spaces in Dublin, Hilliard, New Albany and Plain City offering a variety of services for the Muslim community. Especially in the circumstance of the Dublin location, the surrounding suburban neighborhood pays their HOA fees to support the sustainability of the mosque and community center. In this light, considering the West Jefferson residential development can not only mean opportunity for the growing immigrant community, but once again create a model for Palestinians to remain connected with their traditions and culture until one day they can return to their villages in Palestine.
Little Battir
In conclusion, DIRP provides the opportunity to explore how land development can change when priorities is shifted from profits to people. Building off the concept of a Chinatown or Little Italy, a micro Palestinian village in Ohio would incorporate infrastructure which makes living with the land more idyllic and communal.
https://knowlton.osu.edu/landscape-architecture/master-landscape-architecture
https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts
https://www.croptrust.org/work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/
https://disarmingdesign.com/product/heirloom-seeds/
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1492/
https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-210170/
https://www.arab-reform.net/publication/the-palestinian-diaspora-and-the-state-building-process/