22/07/2026
As the Urban Clinic concludes this chapter, we look back at a body of work that connected academic research, urban practice, teaching, community engagement, and professional development.
One of its largest and most significant initiatives was the Master's Scholarship Program in Urban Planning for Arab and Palestinian students, which supported students while building a wider professional community around planning and urban practice.
This community came together during the closing event:
**Research, Practice & Urban Futures in Arab Society**
The day brought together Arab/Palestinian students, graduates, researchers, planners, and practitioners from East Jerusalem and Arab communities across the country.
Held primarily in Arabic, with simultaneous interpretation into Hebrew, the gathering created an important space for professional and critical discussion in the participants’ own language. It connected academic knowledge with planning practice and enabled participants from different institutions and generations to exchange experiences, challenges, and approaches related to urban work in Arab society.
The program included reflections from the World Urban Forum, presentations by students and graduates, and discussions on how knowledge gained through international experiences can be critically understood and adapted to local realities. A group of students also shared insights from a learning visit focused on urban regeneration in New York, adding another comparative perspective to the conversation.
More than a closing event, the day reflected a professional community that has developed over the years through shared learning, mentorship, collaboration, and a commitment to strengthening planning knowledge and practice in Arab and Palestinian society.
As the Urban Clinic concludes this chapter, the Master's Scholarship Program in Urban Planning is entering a new phase with a new institutional home at **Al Bayader for the Socio-Economic Development of Arab Society** building on years of experience and development.
Beginning this year, the program will continue to support Arab and Palestinian students pursuing Master's degrees in Urban Planning at all five universities offering accredited urban planning programs.
The program is already attracting significant interest, and the selection process is expected to be highly competitive. A new cohort will be announced soon, marking the beginning of the program's next chapter under Al Bayader.
The Urban Clinic's work has also inspired initiatives beyond urban planning. An environmental Master's scholarship program, developed in the spirit of the Urban Clinic model, is now entering its third year, is currently active across three universities, and continues to support the development of environmental professionals within Arab society.
The Urban Clinic's formal chapter is closing, but the programs, relationships, and professional community it helped build continue to grow through new cohorts, new institutional homes, partnerships, and spaces for shared learning and action.
