Gaza Places

Reclaiming the "right to the city" through storytelling.

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The Challenge

When a building is destroyed, we lose more than concrete and steel. We lose the social architecture of a neighborhood - the street corner where elders gathered to share tea and stories, the school courtyard that held a generation's laughter, the bakery that was the heart of the morning for 400 families.

In Gaza, mapping has been a tool for documenting destruction and death. We are reclaiming it as a tool of survival, memory, and self-determination - putting it in the hands of those who know Gaza best.

Our Solution

Gaza Places is an independent research initiative and community-driven digital platform that fills this gap. We are not affiliated with any political party, religion, or ideology. Our mission is simple but transformative:

  • Document and preserve Gaza's built environment and cultural memory before it is permanently lost
  • Amplify Palestinian voices through community storytelling and participatory mapping
  • Connect local grassroots initiatives with global partners, funders, and technical experts
  • Build local capacity through training in digital mapping, urban design, and documentation

"Many people map Gaza's destruction. Why not map its life?"

What We Do

1. Interactive Memory Map

Before-and-after visualization of Gaza's built environment. Each site is tagged with photos, metadata, and personal testimonies, creating a permanent digital archive.

2. Community Stories Hub

Palestinians share memories, experiences, and visions for the future. This storytelling platform ensures that Gaza's emotional and cultural truth is preserved.

3. Project Matching Engine

Our unique tool connects local self-help groups and grassroots initiatives directly with international funders, NGOs, and technical experts - turning ideas into funded projects.

4. Training & Capacity Building

We partner with universities to provide online courses in GIS, urban planning, and digital documentation - empowering Palestinians to lead their own reconstruction.

Why This Matters

Gaza Places offers an approach to post-conflict engagement that prioritizes local agency and community participation alongside humanitarian support.

  • Cultural Preservation: A permanent digital record safeguarding Gaza's architectural and social memory for future generations
  • Economic Empowerment: Direct employment of Palestinian developers, designers, mappers, and storytellers
  • Transparent Collaboration: A verified mechanism for international solidarity grounded in local priorities
  • Future-Ready Planning: Foundational data and community-driven visions that inform sustainable reconstruction
  • Global Recognition: Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 11, 8, 17)

Our Philosophy: Layered Memory

Gaza is not just geography - it is layered memory. Every street corner, every building, every neighborhood square holds stories that cannot be captured by satellite imagery alone. Our platform preserves these layers:

The Physical Layer

Documenting what remains and what was lost - the built environment, the architecture, the spatial footprint of Gaza before and after destruction.

The Social Layer

Archiving the stories of the people who lived, worked, and built community in these spaces - the memories, the daily routines, the relationships that made places meaningful.

The Visionary Layer

Planning reconstruction based on local desire, not external imposition - empowering Palestinians to design their own future rather than having it mapped for them.

"None of us is completely free from the struggle over geography. That struggle is complex and interesting because it is not only about soldiers and cannons but also about ideas, about forms, about images and imaginings."

Gaza Places creates a counter-narrative - one that honors Gaza's unique identity and community aspirations in the face of systematic erasure:

  • Interactive mapping tools that document not just "what was destroyed" but facilitate "what can be rebuilt"
  • A Project Matching Engine that enables Palestinians to conceptualize and design their own recovery
  • Community Stories that preserve personal memories, emotional attachments, and collective identity

In the aftermath of devastation, Gaza Places supports micro-moments of spatial reclamation - community kitchens, rooftop gardens, memorial sites - small acts that prove Gaza's social fabric remains intact and capable of shaping its own future.

Who Should Join Us

For Funders & Grant Organizations

  • Direct impact: Your funding reaches vetted grassroots projects led by Palestinians
  • Transparency: Full documentation and reporting through our platform
  • Sustainability: Build local capacity, not dependency
  • Innovation: Support a unique model combining memory preservation, technology, and community empowerment

For Academic Institutions

  • Research partnerships in spatial justice, post-conflict reconstruction, and digital humanities
  • Student engagement through collaborative mapping projects and fieldwork
  • Data access for academic study (with community consent and ethical protocols)
  • Co-develop training modules in GIS, urban planning, and participatory design

For NGOs & Development Organizations

  • Coordination tool: Identify needs and ongoing initiatives to avoid duplication
  • Community engagement: Access authentic local voices and priorities
  • Project validation: Use our platform for transparent reporting and impact measurement
  • Partnership opportunities with local Palestinian organizations

For Technical Experts & Volunteers

  • Contribute GIS expertise, web development, or urban planning skills
  • Mentor Palestinian professionals and students
  • Help validate and enrich our spatial database
  • Join a global community working for spatial justice

Sample Testimonial: Palestine Square

In the eastern and central parts of Gaza City, at the intersection of Jamal Abdel Nasser Street and Omar Al-Mukhtar Street, Palestine Square forms a focal point in the city's daily movement. The square is not merely a road junction, but a social and commercial space where vehicle traffic intersects with markets, street stalls, and shops. Its name is familiar to residents, who commonly refer to it as "the square" or "Palestine Square."

The square bears the name of Palestine, yet it derives its identity from its strategic location along the southern edge of the old city. In the past, the area was surrounded by agricultural land and orchards; over time, it transformed into an urban node that brings together residents and visitors alike. During redevelopment works in 2016, remains believed to be those of a 1,500-year-old Byzantine church were discovered, adding a historical dimension to the square and turning it into a site of memory that connects past and present.

The square is surrounded by distinctive visual elements, such as the Phoenix statue and artistic sculptures, making it easily recognizable to residents and visitors. Around it are small markets, shops, street vendors, and bus and taxi stops, which together make it an active economic and social center throughout the day.

In terms of movement, the square opens onto several main routes: westward via Omar Al-Mukhtar Street toward the coast and the port, making it a key axis connecting the city center with the seafront, and inward via Jamal Abdel Nasser Street toward the old city and surrounding neighborhoods, facilitating both pedestrian and vehicular movement within the heart of the city.

The neighborhood surrounding the square is crowded, with high population density, public services, educational and administrative institutions, and an active transport network. Daily activity in the square begins in the morning with transportation and schools, intensifies at midday with commercial activity, and then eases in the evening, yet it remains a constant reference point in the lives of the city's residents.

The main challenges include frequent congestion and pressure on sidewalks from pedestrians, especially given the density of street stalls and commercial activity, making the square a place that always requires awareness and cautious movement.

Palestine Square remains more than just an intersection; it is a vibrant urban heart of Gaza, bringing together daily movement, historical memory, and economic and social life within a single space.

Ways to Get Involved

Different communities have different ways to contribute. Here's how you can help based on who you are:

Tech & GIS Community

We need technical expertise to build and maintain our mapping infrastructure. You can contribute data skills, validate coordinates, build tools, or mentor Palestinian GIS professionals.

Researchers & Academics

Partner with us on research projects, provide access to data and methodologies, or collaborate on publications about spatial justice and post-conflict reconstruction.

Philanthropists & Funders

Support community-led projects through direct funding, sponsor our training programs, or help connect local initiatives with resources and expertise.

Palestinian Diaspora

Share your memories, photos, and stories of Gaza. Your personal experiences help us preserve the social and cultural map of neighborhoods and communities.

How We Operate

Gaza Places is designed for long-term sustainability through three pillars:

Local Ownership

The platform is operated and maintained by Palestinian professionals. All major decisions involve community consultation. We are not extractive - we are collaborative.

Institutional Partnerships

We collaborate with universities, research institutions, and NGOs for technical validation, capacity building, and knowledge exchange.

Hybrid Funding Model

We combine grants, institutional partnerships, and in-platform project sponsorships. No single funding source controls our direction.

Independence: We are not affiliated with any political party, government, or religious organization. Our commitment is to the people of Gaza and the integrity of their collective memory.

Sample Project: Yarmouk Market Rehabilitation

The Need: After 2 years of war, all markets in Gaza have been destroyed. Over 700,000 displaced residents lack access to safe, organized marketplaces. Street vendors operate in hazardous conditions, blocking roads and creating public health risks.

The Project: Rehabilitate Yarmouk Market infrastructure and establish operational systems to serve 500,000 residents and 300+ vendors in central Gaza City.

Components:

  • Infrastructure: Reconstruct market stalls ($18.5K), restore water supply ($8.5K), rehabilitate sanitation ($5K), repair electrical systems ($5K)
  • Operations: Install security systems ($3K), establish waste management ($4K), develop market management system ($2K), organize vendor spaces ($2.5K)

Budget Needed:

  • Infrastructure Rehabilitation: $37,000
  • Market Operations & Management: $11,500
  • Total: $48,500

Timeline: 3 months (April 2025 start)

Implementing Partner: Municipality of Gaza

Next Steps & Roadmap

Phase 1: Foundation

  • Launch Community Stories Hub and begin collecting testimonies
  • Map Gaza's pre-conflict built environment with community participation
  • Establish partnerships with 3-5 universities for technical and academic support

Phase 2: Growth

  • Activate Project Matching Engine and connect first 10 grassroots initiatives with funders
  • Launch online Training Portal with courses in GIS, mapping, and urban design
  • Expand platform to include post-conflict damage assessment data

Phase 3: Scale

  • Support community-led reconstruction micro-projects where possible
  • Provide training opportunities for Palestinian professionals in digital mapping
  • Document lessons learned and share findings with relevant stakeholders
  • Learn from and contribute to similar initiatives in other regions

How You Can Help

We invite you to join this initiative. Whether you represent a funding organization, academic institution, NGO, or are an individual expert, your support can contribute to locally-led reconstruction.

Partner With Us Explore Platform

For detailed proposals, technical specifications, or partnership discussions, please contact us directly.