Protected Street
In recent decades, the field of civil protection in Israel has undergone many changes. It has gradually been introduced into the private sector through laws and regulations initiated by the state, thus encouraging private entrepreneurs to plan protected residential spaces. The public shelters and protection solutions planned by the state and the authorities in the past are now embodied in the prices of apartments, and their maintenance has been transferred to the individual. The project criticizes the state for absolving itself from the responsibility to provide a public response to protection, and emphasizes the potential of public protection planning for maintaining an emergency routine and improving daily life in the city.
Upon the outbreak of the war in October 2023, the issue of protection resurfaced on the public agenda, as the hinterland cities experienced complete paralysis due to all that was happening and the rocket fire. The streets were empty of people, and the residents were afraid to leave the protected spaces in their residential areas for fear of being unprotected when the alarms went off. The concern was reinforced by the lack of protection in many urban areas, existing shelters that were neglected and unprepared to receive citizens in an emergency, and temporary solutions of the authorities, which were added to a system of urban shelters that did not work well to begin with. There is a gap between the civilian need for security and the supply of solutions that currently exist in the hinterland cities.
How can civilian emergency protection create a bustling, routine urbanity?
To answer this question, it was necessary to reexamine the logic behind the planning of protection in a central, bustling city and the manner in which the shelters were positioned in space. Following an in-depth analysis of what is currently available, it is clear that the distribution of shelters in the city emerged quite spontaneously and was mainly expressed as point-based thinking according to a certain radius from a central location. The existing planning strategy must be changed, and instead create a street that is completely protected and enables finding shelter on the city’s main pedestrian routes. Studies show that under certain conditions going underground can create a sense of security during missile strikes. Moreover, sheltering in a public space with a community and in the company of other people produces a positive psychological impact and advantages for dealing with anxiety. Therefore, it is possible to integrate the protected street below the level of the existing street and create unique openings and spaces that connect the outside with the inside and provide a sense of security among the public. Going underground has additional advantages in extreme climates and can also be beneficial for routine walking in the city and in dealing with Israel’s hot climate.
Although in recent years there have been doubts about the effectiveness of the existing public protection, the demand for protected spaces still exists. Designing the public protected space in a way that is tailored to human needs can produce many benefits and improve the quality of life and movement in the city.
