SPNI's Tel Aviv Center worked intensively during
the election campaign to get the city's environmental agenda
across to both the candidates and the voters. Our task now
is to ensure that the new members of the Tel Aviv City Council
keep their pre-election commitments. Primary activities:
A "Green Council Watch" report of environmental
issues questionnaire to counsel candidates
This questionnaire was distributed to all 41 city
council candidates, 25 of whom responded. The questionnaire
contained 30 questions dealing with the major environmental
problems faced by Tel Aviv today. A summary report consolidating
the responses is soon to be distributed to members of the
new city council to remind them of the pre-election promises
they made to voters to promote
environmental issues in the city.
Car Free Day in Tel Aviv: "Taking the Light Railway to
Rabin Square"
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SPNI celebrated "Car Free Day"
by riding in a mock "Light Railway" along its
intended route, to Rabin Square, demonstrating the urgency
of completion of this "Green Line" of the Light
Railway in the city within the next five years. |
The event was extremely successful, and was
attended by activists and residents, as well as several city
council candidates (including Yael Dayan of Meretz, Pe'er
Wittner of the Green Party, Shlomo Maslawi of Likud, and Amir
Sela of Shinui). After their "ride" on the "Light
Rail," candidates signed a declaration supporting "Public
Transport Now!"
Candidates' "Public Hearing" on environmental
issues
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Heads of ten parties participated
in a public hearing, held a week before the elections,
and attended by over 200 voters. A film was produced to
describe several of Tel Aviv’s most pressing environmental problems, including transportation, open spaces,
protecting the coastline, and public participation. |
The evening was MC'd by well-known
comedian Dovale Glickman who asked each candidate how he/she
would solve the issues. Many promises and commitments
were made by the candidates that evening; now all that is
left is to ensure they get implemented!
Production of Environmental Concerns map 2003-2008
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SPNI-Tel Aviv recently orchestrated and published a map of Tel Aviv’s environmental hot spots - the Environmental Concerns or EC Map. The EC Map provides an overview of Tel Aviv’s environmental issues. Assembling the locations and issues for the map was a collaborative effort, involving thirty-five environmental organizations, through Green Forum. The process gave these organizations the opportunity to perceive their own work in the context of the bigger picture
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Manning of information booths supporting various environmental
issues
During the months of September and October, about
30 information booths were set up around the city for the
distribution of materials on environmental issues and the
collection of signatures on postcards addressed to the Mayor
supporting the overall upgrading of the city's public transportation
system. In addition, the information booth set up near
Rabin Square included a simulated model of how Rabin Square
(the large plaza in front of Tel Aviv's City Hall) would look
if a proposed parking lot is constructed. Over 4,000 signatures
were collected against this plan!!
Election Results - Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipal Elections,
November 2003:
One of the outcomes of the Pre –Election, as was
commentated in Haaretz newspaper is a more environmentally
committed City Council. We will do our best to ensure that
this promise will indeed be fulfilled in this Term's agenda.
Approximately 150 copies of this new report
have been distributed to, the Transportation Ministry, the
Mayor, City Council members, planning professionals and other
decision-makers. The report describes the progress of
Tel Aviv's Region's Light Railway project, and the reasons
for the delay of the "Green Line" planned for Ibn
Gvirol Street and Rabin Square. The report's recommendations
include: Setting of a five-year goal for construction of an
above-ground Light Rail line along Ibn Gvirol Street and the
simultaneous establishment of a Metropolitan Transportation
Authority with the public's participation in the process.
Reviews so far are very supportive and a professional conference
to discuss its findings is planned at Tel Aviv University.
Wishing you all the best for a healthy - and green!
- 2004!
Tu b'Shvat Greetings from SPNI's
Tel Aviv's Center for Environmental Action
Tu b'Shvat, the New Year of the Trees, celebrated on the 15th
day of the Hebrew month of Shvat, fell on Saturday, February
7th this year. The holiday is not only about going out in
the fields and open spaces to plant trees and see nature,
but is also about caring for our local environment. Some may
even say that today, the primary meaning of the holiday is
increasing environmental awareness.
We in Tel Aviv celebrated the holiday early, with a special
activity day in the proposed "Horshot Park" (Grove Park in English) in South
Tel Aviv, one of the few natural, undeveloped sites in this neglected, low-income
area that badly suffers from a lack of green open spaces. Even though the woods of HaHorshot Park include trees dating back to the founding of Israel, it is nevertheless neglected and in danger of commercial development. The dream of HaHorshot Park requires financial and political support to realize its full potential as a major forested park for the area's residents.
On January 27th, the Tel Aviv Center for Environmental Action,
together with the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality, sponsored an
activity day in the park that was attended by about 300 participants
of neighborhood activists, local elementary school children,
members of an area old age home and even a group of soldiers.
There was a wide range of activities for all ages, and trees were planted - yes, even in this abandoned city space - in an attempt to make it even greener, and to teach the next generation to continue the tradition of greening Israel.
