UP & DOWN

The project critiques the state of the urban street today, a state in which it does not fulfill its function as a diverse and safe public space, instead serving only as a road, a means of transition from one point of departure to another. The street has undergone many changes over the years, altering designed for all citizens into one controlled by the private vehicle and economic and political forces surrounding it. Today, many municipalities around the world and in Israel are aware of the importance of the human scale of the street and the relationship between man and street, and therefore seek to change the existing mindset in planning institutions and try to prioritize public transportation and pedestrians over private vehicles. The plans for an underground light rail station that passes through Yehuda Halevi Street in Tel Aviv create an opportunity to change the balance of power on the street. The project offers a way to take advantage of this opportunity to bring the street back to pedestrians and the public. Thus it seeks to break through and change the prevailing planning pyramid in which the private vehicle stands at the head and the pedestrian is pushed to the margins. It strives instead to design a section of the “ideal” street, a street that serves the needs of its occupants, allows for services within walking distance and encourages random encounters that create opportunities. This street planning will take place with an emphasis on multi-level pedestrian traffic and utilization of the existing city infrastructure in the area.