Palestinians Must Lead the Rebuilding of Gaza

When I first read the Foreign Affairs piece titled “A Gaza for Gazans” on April 23, 2026, my initial reaction wasn’t just analytical—it was personal. As someone who’s spent years covering urban resilience projects from Latest Orleans to Detroit, the core argument hit home: rebuilding efforts fail when they ignore the people who actually live there. The article, authored by Alain Bertaud, Edward Glaeser and Tarek Masoud, makes a compelling case that Gaza’s reconstruction must be led by Palestinians themselves, not by distant planners imposing abstract visions. While the focus is rightly on the Strip, the implications ripple outward, affecting communities worldwide—including right here in Chicago, where Palestinian-American organizations have long advocated for self-determination in humanitarian efforts.

The scale of destruction described in the piece is almost incomprehensible: roughly 60 million tons of rubble blanketing an area the size of a midsize American city, with over 70 percent of buildings leveled. This isn’t just about bricks and mortar; it’s about livelihoods, memory, and the right to shape one’s own future. The authors argue persuasively that top-down plans—whether from Israeli, American, or international entities—often miss the mark because they’re designed in boardrooms rather than shaped by Gazans’ lived experiences. This mirrors challenges we’ve seen domestically, where post-disaster recovery in places like Puerto Rico or Flint sometimes overlooked grassroots knowledge, leading to solutions that looked good on paper but failed in practice.

What makes this moment particularly urgent is the proliferation of competing visions for Gaza’s future. As reported by the BBC and The Conversation, we’ve seen everything from the Israeli government’s Gaza 2035 plan—featuring AI-powered smart cities and high-speed rail corridors—to the US-backed Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust proposal, which envisages a decade-long rollout of modern, trustee-administered communities. Jared Kushner’s “Gaza Riviera” concept, unveiled at Davos in January 2026, added another layer of spectacle to the debate. Yet amid these glossy renderings, the authors remind us that the most critical factor isn’t architectural innovation but procedural legitimacy: who gets to decide?

This debate feels especially relevant in Chicago, a city with deep historical ties to Palestinian advocacy and a vibrant diaspora community concentrated in neighborhoods like Albany Park and Rogers Park. Organizations such as the Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) in Chicago, the Arab American Family Services (AAFS), and the Chicago chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) have long worked to amplify Palestinian voices in discussions about humanitarian aid, refugee rights, and reconstruction ethics. Their local efforts echo the global principle articulated in the Foreign Affairs piece: sustainable solutions emerge not from external mandates but from community-led processes.

Beyond the immediate humanitarian concerns, there are second-order effects worth considering. When reconstruction ignores local agency, it risks creating what urban theorists call “spaces of alienation”—environments that may be physically modern but socially disconnected. We’ve seen this pattern before: housing projects that lack cultural resonance, commercial zones that don’t reflect local economies, or infrastructure that serves symbolic purposes more than daily needs. In Chicago’s own history, the redevelopment of public housing sites like Cabrini-Green demonstrated both the promise and pitfalls of top-down planning, where improved buildings sometimes came at the cost of disrupted social networks and eroded trust.

The authors’ emphasis on Palestinian leadership isn’t just about fairness—it’s about effectiveness. Drawing from Bertaud’s function in “Order Without Design,” they suggest that cities thrive when market forces and local initiative shape organic order, rather than rigid master plans. Applied to Gaza, this means creating conditions where Gazans can gradually rebuild their neighborhoods, businesses, and public spaces according to their own priorities—whether that means prioritizing housing over skyscrapers, preserving traditional market layouts, or integrating solar energy in ways that suit local geography and culture.

Given my background in urban policy analysis, if this trend impacts you in Chicago—whether you’re involved in humanitarian work, community organizing, or simply seeking to understand how global conflicts shape local advocacy—here are three types of local professionals you should consider connecting with:

• Humanitarian Policy Analysts: Look for experts with direct experience in post-conflict reconstruction, preferably those who have worked with UN agencies, NGOs, or diaspora-led initiatives. Key criteria include a track record of centering beneficiary feedback in program design, familiarity with international humanitarian law, and the ability to navigate complex funding mechanisms without compromising grassroots autonomy.
• Community Development Specialists Focused on Displaced Populations: Seek practitioners who specialize in participatory planning methods, such as asset-based community development or trauma-informed urban design. Ideal candidates will have demonstrable experience facilitating workshops where refugee or immigrant communities co-create solutions, along with knowledge of Chicago-specific resources like the Mayor’s Office of New Americans or the Illinois Department of Human Services refugee services programs.
• Ethical Advocacy Coordinators: These professionals bridge local action and global awareness, helping Chicago-based groups align their efforts with principled frameworks like those advocated in “A Gaza for Gazans.” Prioritize individuals with experience in ethical fundraising, advocacy transparency, and partnerships that avoid duplicating or undermining local leadership in conflict zones—verified through past collaborations with recognized Palestinian-led organizations.

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