New Druze Town Plan Criticized for Exacerbating Housing Crisis

The Arab Center for Alternative Planning has warned against a government plan to establish a new Druze town near the Yavor Junction, northwest of Kabul. The center argues that the proposed location raises serious planning issues and could hinder Kabul's future development without providing a fundamental solution to the escalating housing crisis in Arab Druze communities. The organization's stance, detailed in a professional position paper, analyzes the government's plan to build approximately 1,000 housing units on about 600 dunams, potentially housing 5,000 residents.

The center asserts that the Druze housing crisis requires comprehensive solutions, including removing planning obstacles, expanding municipal jurisdictions, and regularizing existing structures, rather than diverting resources to a new town that may create additional problems. The position paper revealed that historical Druze town areas have shrunk significantly, from approximately 465,000 dunams in 1946 to 128,000 dunams in 2022. Furthermore, about 69% of the jurisdictional areas for Druze local authorities remain undeveloped, and 2,061 unlicensed buildings exist across 13 Druze local councils, highlighting a gap between resident needs and current planning policies.

The center emphasized that the core issue is not a lack of new towns but rather restrictions on developing existing ones and the absence of adequate planning solutions. The proposed site is adjacent to lands historically and geographically linked to Kabul, with some overlap into its historical jurisdiction. The center cautioned that allocating large areas for the new town before a thorough study of Kabul's future needs could impose further restrictions on its urban expansion.

Criticism was also leveled at the plan's emphasis on state land ownership in site selection, neglecting the needs and expansion potential of neighboring towns. The proposed area is designated as "preserved fabric" under the national plan "TAMA 35," which prioritizes strengthening and expanding existing towns and preserving open spaces. Notably, even the leadership of the Druze local authorities has not endorsed the proposed alternatives, despite acknowledging the urgent need for housing solutions.

The Arab Center for Alternative Planning called for freezing detailed planning until a comprehensive regional study is completed, considering the needs of Kabul and surrounding towns, exploring alternative planning options, and prioritizing the development and expansion of existing Druze towns. They also demanded genuine participation from Arab and Druze local authorities and residents in all decision-making stages, stressing that planning justice and equal rights should not come at the expense of other Arab towns' rights to land and development.