The Park Neighborhood

“Sleeping neighborhoods” is a term for a phenomenon in which private construction has begun to lead the residential construction market in Israel, and within the framework of which entire residential neighborhoods are planned, usually in the suburbs of the city. This phenomenon is one of the solutions to the housing crisis in Israel. Short-term economic considerations are creating more and more “sleeping neighborhoods”, while simultaneously neglecting the city centers. The criticism of sleeping neighborhoods is that the low density harms the local economy, there are environmental and social consequences due to long walking distances and dependence on private vehicles, there is a lack of commerce in the street and of a mix of uses, and social consequences of zoning and segregation. While in many cities around the world city centers are epicenters of social and cultural life, economic anchors and centers of attraction for tourism, the neglect of city centers in Israel is reflected in the abandonment of high-quality residents and in the collapse of businesses.

The question is, how can urban renewal processes be planned in a way that does not only offer a significant quantitative addition of housing units, similar to the growth of the sleeping neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city, but also ensures quality of life for residents and meets their needs, thickens and strengthens the city center in environmental, social and economic aspects?

The project takes the city center of Hadera as a test case for urban renewal, and shows how it can accommodate the city’s new sleeping neighborhood. The plan adds 2,100 housing units, the scope of the new Park neighborhood, to the existing 1,250 housing units in the intervention area. The city center will provide jobs, commerce and leisure, and will constitute a microcosm for the needs of modern man. The project seeks to argue that a diverse mix of uses, an optimal public transportation network and increasing density while planning a microclimate will increase the sense of security and comfort in the space, encourage walking, wandering and random street encounters, and create a sustainable and vibrant urban fabric.