Living by the stream

The past year was characterized by a series of closures and social distancing, which emphasize the importance of open spaces in urban areas. In recent years urban gardens and parks have become exclusive places for reunions, outdoor activities, and leisure where people can maintain health restrictions. The current project “Living by the Stream” addresses this trend and highlights the benefits of incorporating natural stream environments into the city by using these open spaces for the cultivation of scenic, social, and educational values. The Galim River, which descends from Mt Carmel towards the Mediterranean Sea, becomes a small, abandoned stream near its outlet at the city of Tirat Ha-Carmel, where it crosses neighborhoods and parks. Yet instead of linking urban spaces, it develops into a fluvial ephemeral wastewater channel, canalized between backyards and deteriorating buildings, which separates communities instead of bridging them. The current project seeks to change this situation by redefining the concept of a stream crossing an urban area. It aims to convert the abandoned river area into the backbone of the neighborhood and, as such, to rehabilitate it by creating a unique environment that the city currently lacks.