Movement for Israeli Urbanism
Three hundred and fifty participants from all over Israel attended the first conference of Merhav, the Movement for Israeli Urbanism (MIU), held on December 12 and 13 in Be’er-Sheva, according to US urbanist Dhiru Thadani of Ayers Saint Gross Architects, the keynote speaker at the conference. The theme of the conference was “Urban Renaissance in Israel.” Similar to the professional mix that can be found at a CNU gathering in the US, the attendees included; political leaders, developers, business leaders, city planners, architects, traffic engineers, sociologists, historians, economists, political scientists, concerned citizens, and other related professions.
“The enthusiasm, intensity, and excitement brought back flashbacks of the first CNU held in Alexandria, Virginia in 1993,” Thadani says. The first day included 40 presentations in 14 standing-room only sessions that covered many of thekey issues facing urbanism in Israel. The emphasis was on the host city of Be’er-Sheva, a modern city gone awry, that follows none of the traditional rules we have come to appreciate that makes wonderful urbanism and memorable places. The city’s development and urban history was presented as well as current challenges and the potential for renaissance in this biblical city.
Scholarships and housing arrangements were made to include 90 students of architecture and planning from the Universities of Haifa, Tel-Aviv, Ariel, Jerusalem, and Be’er-Sheva.
Day two divided conference participants into three groups, each tasked with examining a neglected neighborhood within the city. The day-long charrette included site visits, presentations on the three neighborhoods, and an afternoon of drawing alternatives that culminated in a public presentation. Local residents and planners from all over the country were introduced to the participatory planning process.
