Imported modernity and local design: the creation of resilient public spaces in late Ottoman Palestine, 1878–1918

Jewish colonies were established in rural areas of Ottoman Palestine in the late nineteenth century; a period full of radical changes, including the industrial revolution, political and cultural shifts in the Ottoman Empire, and social transformations wrought by World War I. These global and local events had a significant impact on everyday life in the colonies, challenging the resilience of the built-up and open public spaces. According to urban space research, the ability of public spaces to withstand change depends on how these spaces are created and defined and the extent to which they evoke a communal sense of ownership and belonging. In light of the above, this paper combines archival and theoretical research in order to examine and characterize the resilience of public spaces in the Jewish colonies in Ottoman Palestine over four decades – from 1878, the foundation of the first colony, to 1918, the end of World War I. Planned and designed by mostly European-educated designers and entrepreneurs, the colonies’ public spaces demonstrated modernity, accommodated change, and created vibrant centres geared to serve a diverse ethnic local population.