The Growing City

The demographic shift brings with it a spatial change. Population growth and rapid urbanization in Israel have necessitated different approaches to the development of the urban fabric, one of which is the creation of new neighborhoods on the city’s outskirts. This project examines how principles from traditional architecture can inform and improve contemporary urban design approaches, focusing on a new typology for dense urban human construction. By exploring the spatial, social, and environmental qualities inherent in traditional architectural practices, the project aims to offer a toolkit that integrates these principles and qualities into the planning of new urban neighborhoods.

The research question is: How can the principles and qualities of traditional architecture be adopted in the planning of new neighborhoods in the city?

To address the question, the research uses a comparative analysis of traditional architectural values such as organic growth, mixed-use spaces and human-scale planning, and examines the potential application of these values in contemporary urban contexts. Maghar, located in lower Galilee, serves as a test case, as it illustrates well the transition from traditional fabric-based settlement to one featuring modern development, with the expansion resulting from population growth.

The combination of traditional architectural principles can significantly improve the quality of life and sustainability in modern urban neighborhoods. The new typology for dense urban construction is proposed as an alternative for the use of traditional planning elements, while addressing the current urban challenges and adapting the design to today’s human needs.