The main aim of the project is the development of the Al Nasser neighbourhood and improvement of the living conditions of its inhabitants by developing its streets and interior squares.

This project comes under the strategic objective of the Barcelona City Council Master Plan for International Cooperation for 2005-08: to develop technical and institutional capacities at local level.

This will be achieved through an exchange of experiences and knowledge between technical experts from both cities, as well as the joint design of the urban development plan.

It is intended to improve the living conditions by providing the neighbourhood with the necessary urban infrastructures and improving the economic situation at the same time by creating short- and long-term employment. Infrastructures means building drinking-water and waste-water networks and sewage systems, installing lights in public areas, paving streets and planting trees on street pavements.

The telephone network will also be installed at the same time by the Palestinian company.

1. City Council and Gaza technical staff designing the project together with the participation of neighbourhood residents.

2. Carrying out the project with the development work.

3. Holding at least two training seminars for technical staff in Barcelona.

The Al Nasser neighbourhood is very close to the Beach refugee camp, to the north of the city, and also very close to the line of the sea.

The neighbourhood boundaries are marked by Al-Nasser, Palestine, Kamal Nasser and Omar Bin Al-Khatab streets. The streets subject to wholesale development are: Ajnadeen, Kamal Odwan, Atta Al Zeer and Mohamed Youssef Alnagar streets, including the square, Mohamed Jamjon, Mamdouh Saidam, Fawad Hejazie, Essam Saratawe and That El Sawarie streets. The streets subject to partial development, given the road surface and pavements have already been developed, are: Palestine, El Nasser and Omar Bin El Kathab streets. Many of the neighbourhood's residents are families of refugees who have managed to get a place to live outside the camp. According to the census figures provided by Gaza City Council, there are over 12,000 people living in the neighbourhood.

The area subject to development covers about 84,137 m2. Referring to the actual conditions in the neighbourhood, we can say there are a lot of structural weaknesses and that has a very serious affect on the health of the population. In this regard it is particularly important to note the sewage system and drains are very inadequate, while there is a total lack of paved pavements and road surfaces, which means it is absolutely impossible to establish clearly differentiated paths for pedestrians and vehicles. The project was drawn up and agreed at the end of 2005. The public tender for the award of the construction work contracts went ahead as planned but the work was subject to delay due to the political instability and isolation of the area. The work was completed at the end of 2008, just before Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip.