(R&B) rhythm and blues: post-traffic lights in Ramallah and Al-Bireh city

Abstract

Exploring the unique ways in which the postcolonial and the colonial exist side by side in the West Bank, this article discusses the social and political meanings of traffic lights in Ramallah and Al-Bireh City (R&B), the main urban area under the Palestinian Authority (PA). The arrival of traffic lights signalled an attempt to re-organise the ‘organic modernity’ of Palestinian streets — and was resisted as such.