On the Banks of Ayalon Stream
Every ten years or so, Ayalon Stream floods overflows within the boundaries of Tel Aviv, disrupting critical transportation systems and posing a serious threat to human lives and property. Predictions of extreme flooding and the worsening climate crisis point to a grim future, where floods are expected to impact the Ayalon Highway, railway tracks, and the HaHagana and HaShalom train stations, and even neighbourhoods in southern Tel Aviv.
Ayalon Stream exemplifies a broader phenomenon where rivers that were once favored for settlement have become utilitarian conduits due to engineering interventions. These changes have weakened the physical connection between the stream and the city, increased the risk of flooding, and limited the social and ecological benefits of the stream.
Ayalon Stream, which flow along the length of Tel Aviv, sharply reflects the urban narrative and the growing disparities between the northern neighbourhoods and the southern ones. In the north, plans are underway to cover the stream, which will create new land and attract investors and developers. Meanwhile, in the south, neighbourhoods suffer from ongoing neglect and a lack of attention to flooding and drainage issues, many of which are related to Ayalon Stream.
Hatikva neighbourhood, one of those neglected areas in southern Tel Aviv, experiences flooding every few years due to the Ayalon Stream overflowing, alongside social and economic difficulties.
In my final project, I propose to restore the Ayalon Stream, thereby creating a lever for the economic and social revitalization of Hatikva neighbourhood, while restoring social and environmental justice to Tel Aviv.
In the first phase, I suggest challenging the existing thinking about the future of Ayalon Highway by relocating it underground, which would allow for extensive rehabilitation of the river. In the second phase, I propose creating a new spatial network that includes a dialog between Hatikva neighbourhood and Ayalon Stream’s course, taking into account the stream’s natural floodplain, developing community and green spaces for the neighbourhood’s residents, and adding residential units that include accessible public housing. The new network will feature construction characterized by spatial, community-oriented, and ecological typologies that create diverse interfaces with the stream, emphasizing the development of a sophisticated public space. Restoring a river within a weakened urban fabric can present an opportunity to shape significant urban processes in ecological, social and economic aspects.
