From Earth Shall Spring

In contrast to the formal planning process aimed at meeting residents’ needs, local practices emerge without a clear legal status. At times, these practices stem from the planning infrastructure itself, while in other cases, they are perceived as disturbances to be suppressed. This project seeks to ask how local practices, often regarded as spatial disruptions, might instead be reframed as opportunities for planning.

The project is located in the Katznelson neighborhood of Nahariya, built in the 1950s as part of the state housing program and characterized by uniform building typologies. During the first three decades, residents developed local practices that strengthened public life, as evidenced in focal points such as the market, the communal garden, and garbage collection areas. However, following the Neighborhood Renewal Project, investments shifted primarily to the private sector: apartments were expanded, residents’ living standards improved, and their economic conditions improved. In parallel, the public realm remained neglected and inadequately rehabilitated. This imbalance intensified the dissonance between the two domains, fostering alienation toward the deteriorated public environment among residents whose private conditions had improved.

The intervention strategy aims to dissolve plot boundaries and create mutual reinforcement between private and public realms. This is achieved through the introduction of a new spatial continuum: between the dwellings and the street, intermediate and community zones are established, expanding the spectrum between private and public space. The design framework builds on the original building type, proposed for expropriation to generate new public ground. The basic unit of the renewed neighborhood thus becomes the public space, around which private apartments are arranged and from which residual areas open into community spaces. The community zone preserves the social interactions that evolved over the years, while the domesticated intermediate zone—blending residential and commercial uses—blurs the boundary between public and private.

Through these strategies, the project proposes a new spatial model that recognizes and incorporates informal practices as integral and positive components of the urban fabric.