At Touching Distance

Urban regeneration has become a central issue in urban planning, responding to the growing population density worldwide, and in Israel in particular. Kiryat Ono, which leads the urban regeneration ranking in Israel, is located in the Tel Aviv District, near Petah Tikva and Ramat Gan, and has high transportation accessibility. Despite its small size, the city promotes dozens of demolition and building projects aimed at doubling the population and improving the quality of life.

During my childhood in Kiryat Ono, the quiet streets, green spaces, and surrounding vegetation created a sense of a peaceful and safe environment that invited walking. Over the years, the city developed, and many high-rise residential buildings and commercial areas were built through the urban renewal process. The open spaces, which were such a significant part of the urban landscape, began to diminish. The sense of loss of walkability in the city sparked my desire to restore that childhood experience.

The project offers a new vision for urban regeneration development in Kiryat Ono, incorporating urban and local scale planning that integrates new green connectivity between the renewed public and private spaces – ranging from creating a scenic, pedestrian-friendly, and circular system within the city, to developing community hubs and accessible passages through a three-dimensional space, that will serve as a “second floor” to the street. The design strives to emphasize the values of family and walkability that exist in the city, strengthen disadvantaged neighborhoods, improve existing infrastructure, and enhance the quality of life for the residents.