The Christian Science Monitor is reporting on the planned construction of a new 40,000-person metropolis five miles north of Ramallah. According to the Monitor, the city dubbed "Rawabi" may be the first Palestinian city built to a master plan, and it offers a tidy alternative for upwardly mobile young professionals.

Excerpt:

As the Nablus-born nephew of Palestinian billionaire Munib Masri, Bashar is no stranger to big ideas. "Palestinians right now - young people - want to move to the city," Mr. Masri explained as he leaned over a yellow glass desk in his Ramallah office. "The people we're after are educated and employed. They studied in English and Arabic, they watch TV, they have traveled, and most of them have Facebook. They understand a different world than their parents."

For them, Masri offers a revolutionary city. Qatari financing will provide the first large-scale Palestinian mortgage option for home buyers. Downtown will include apartments, offices, day care, and theaters. Neighborhoods will enjoy generous open space and greenery. Masri hopes to break ground in March.

Rami Nasrallah, an urban planner based in East Jerusalem, said Rawabi reflects changing values. "It's moving the Palestinians from being restricted to their villages to going to modern spaces," he says.

Click here to read the full article on the Christian Science Monitor.

Click here to see Rawabi's corporate website.

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