Overcoming the Bottleneck | Strengthening the Eastern Ecological Corridor at the Edge of Gush Dan’s Urban Fabric

The Eastern Ecological Corridor, stretching from Wadi Ara to Modiin, is Israel’s most critical north–south axis for species movement and ecosystem function. Yet at the periphery of Gush Dan, immense development pressures threaten the continuity of this open-space link. A bottleneck has formed at the transition between the hilly region and the central coastal plain, where roughly 2 km separate Rosh HaAyin from Petah Tikva. Today, the predominant land uses in this stretch are open rural landscapes and agriculture maintained by a handful of kibbutzim and moshavim residents. The open space between Rosh HaAyin and Petah Tikva exemplifies an acute national conflict: how can we expand housing supply while preserving ecological networks? Intensive development undermines both the functionality of these open areas and residents’ personal connection to the landscapes they inhabit.
This project proposes a strategic plan to address the “bottleneck” that ensures ecological connectivity, revitalizes the open space, and positions it at the forefront of settlements at the edge of the urban continuum. A territorial corridor and wildlife passage are laid out along the shortest feasible route within the constrained Einat stream basin. Through eco-hydrological design, the narrow channel will become a high-quality core zone while meeting the drainage and functional needs of the surrounding agricultural landscape. In the main tributary of the Yarkon—Shilo Stream—stormwater runoff currently poses a flood risk downstream. This project introduces a series of retention ponds as an alternative to the engineered facility proposed in the regional master plan. Expanding open habitats along the stream banks will bolster wildlife populations and provide infrastructure for walking and daily recreation, re-establishing residents’ connection to the open space adjacent to their homes.
This case study focuses on one bottleneck among the 47 identified within the Eastern Ecological Corridor, aiming to provide analytical and design tools for species movement at varying scales, adaptable to future development in the region.