Expertise locale et étrangère en Palestine: faiblesse, fragmentation et séduction des pratiques urbanistiques

Based on research and intervention direct experiences of the authors in the OPT, this paper offers a contribution about the circulation and exchange of knowledge in the framework of international cooperation, strictly related to the urban planning field of practices. By the effects of the Israeli occupation and the spatial nature of this conflict, in fact, Palestine could be considered as an extreme case of dependence by the International cooperation – above all from the point of view of public legitimacy and economic support – also for the ordinary activities in urban and regional planning and regulation of spaces. The long history of international cooperation, however, does not seem to have contributed so far to diminish weaknesses, fragmentation and the ability to intervene by professionals and local institutions that in this context are the desired outcome of the occupation itself. This poses a crucial question for theoretical reflections as well as for the international cooperation practices, which has led the authors to discuss the ways in which the knowledge of international experts is combined with local ones, starting from analogies and differences in the most widespread ways of thinking and to act in the context of international cooperation related to the planning of the city and the territory. Then 6 " portrait-type of planners", 3 of local planners and 3 of international planners were elaborated, to summarize references and experiences useful to highlight dynamics that seem peculiar and which try to reconnect the training paths, the available networks and the guidelines for action in order to highlight the critical elements of the most frequent and widespread practices. From the effort of synthesis of the peculiarities of the many subjects met and interviewed and the comparison between the portraits it is possible to trace