HighFa

Throughout history, transportation has served not only as a means of mobility but also as a shaping force of the city. Railroads, Haussmann’s boulevards in Paris, or Robert Moses’s Highways in New York – all shaped not only the routes of movement but also the structure of the city, community life, and power relations within it. Now a new chapter is opening: Urban Air Mobility. Electric and autonomous aircraft (eVTOL) offer a new transport layer independent of the ground, raising essential questions: What new infrastructure and buildings will be required? How will they be integrated into the urban space? And above all, will they become luxury tools for the wealthy alone, or will they evolve into an accessible, equitable public system?

Haifa, serving as an urban laboratory spread across the Carmel slopes between the ridge and the sea, faces accessibility gaps: while the lower plain enjoys a diverse transport network, the mountain neighborhoods rely on slow bus lines and are almost completely dependent on private cars. This creates a fragmented city, where elevation becomes a barrier to accessibility and a social obstacle. From this arises the central research question: how can a new transport layer reduce mobility gaps and strengthen connectivity in a mountainous urban environment?

The project presents a clear position: a model of public, autonomous, and accessible air mobility must be developed, operating as shared infrastructure rather than as a private tool for the wealthy alone. Through historical analysis, examination of international examples, and the study of wind conditions in the city, a planning–architectural strategy for Haifa takes shape. The proposal is structured in a hierarchical system of stations – neighborhood AirPoints, central urban AirCenters, and major AirHubs connected to national transport junctions – all adapted to the local scale. The architectural design is based on airflows as a central generator, creating synergy between the city and the technology. In this way, air mobility is not presented solely as a technological future, but as a foundation for socio-spatial change: strengthening connectivity, reducing gaps, and envisioning a more multi-dimensional, accessible, and equitable city.