Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights is an Israeli non-profit organization formed in 1999 by a group of planners and architects, in order to strengthen democracy and human rights in the field of planning.
Spatial planning plays a crucial role in determining the quality of our life environment, as well as the prospects for socio-economic development and well-being of individuals and communities alike. The planning process in Israel is highly centralized and largely removed from the sphere of public debate and scrutiny. As a result, the rights and needs of local communities are often not taken into account. Flawed or discriminatory planning, and the unequal distribution of land and other public resources reinforce the inequalities between different sectors of society and impact negatively on our most basic values and rights.
Drawing on values such as human rights, social justice, good governance and community participation, we seek to affect system-wide change by encouraging the development of new planning policies and procedures that are more equitable and responsive to the needs of the various communities.
Our key objectives are:
-
To advance the implementation of planning rights (i.e. human rights in the field of spatial planning) at all levels of the decision-making process.
-
To strengthen community involvement in the planning process by empowering local communities with the tools to participate effectively in the planning decisions that affect their lives, and to develop solutions that reflect their needs and preferences.
-
To stimulate professional and public discourse with regard to planning rights and social aspects of planning, and thus help bring about change in this field.
-
To raise awareness and understanding within the general public of their planning rights and the measures that can be taken if their rights are affected.
Bimkom promotes the planning rights of all sectors of the Israeli public, but is particularly committed to working with:
-
Disadvantaged communities and minority populations, both Jewish and Arab, that generally lack the knowledge and resources to access and affect the planning process.
-
The community of planners and related professionals in the public, private and non governmental sectors.
-
Decision makers at the local, regional and national levels.
Since its establishment, Bimkom has assisted hundreds of local communities throughout Israel and areas of the West Bank under Israeli control, in matters concerning home demolitions, infrastructure and public services, local and neighborhood development plans, as well as the separation barrier.
As a professional organization in the field of human rights and planning in Israel, Bimkom is often invited to work in partnership with other organizations that work in the fields of community development, social change, environmental and civil rights. In the framework of such partnerships, we bring our specific planning expertise to bear in projects of common interest. In 2005, Bimkom was granted a formal legal status by the Ministry of the Interior, which allows us to submit independent objections regarding planning matters to the local, regional and national planning committees. This status has been awarded to only a handful of NGOs in Israel.
Bimkom is run by an active, voluntary board of directors, a team of dedicated staff, and over 100 highly motivated volunteers from the architectural, planning, legal and social professions who offer their skills, knowledge and experience on a pro bono basis. Our ability to mobilize so many volunteers enables us to provide those communities most in need with the multi-disciplinary expertise and professional assistance they would otherwise be unable to acquire.
About Bimkom
