An historical mistake in the
development of Tel-Aviv – which is now universally acknowledged
– was the sealing off of Tel-Aviv’s beaches by a row of hotels
and the major road that runs along them. As a result,
every Saturday up to 250,000 members of the public crowd into
a narrow strip of sand that lies between the sea and the private
development. In short, the public’s right to appropriate open
space along the shoreline was abused.
One of the few remaining sites along the Tel-Aviv shore where
this neglect of the public’s rights can be partly amended
is in northern Tel-Aviv. Here, in conjunction with SPNI’s
national campaign to save Israel’s endangered seashore, we
have scored a major success. Namely, we have managed
to seize the initiative to create our own development plan
– before opposing forces have done the same. This
open stretch of land along the sea in northern Tel-Aviv, surrounded
by urban development, is the only remaining expanse of land
within the city that is waiting to be developed. Several years
ago, public opposition defeated a plan to level the pristine
bluffs of the North Tel-Aviv beach and cover them with large
buildings and parking lots. When the developers’ plan receded
from public view, we decided to act before it inevitably reappeared
in a new guise.
We employed our professional SPNI planners and architects,
and mobilized a number of community stakeholders to participate
in envisioning a Coastal park that will respect environmental
values and public needs. The initial plan for a beach park,
which we presented 4 years ago to the Tel-Aviv Municipality
and the planning authorities, is now, after an extensive campaign,
mostly accepted by them, and awaiting authorization.
Now we are working on the two other areas in Tel-Aviv
where the public’s right to enjoy the seashore can be reclaimed:
the Yarkon River peninsula, a potentially beautiful urban
waterfront now marred by a run-down industrial area, and
the waterfront in south Jaffa.
SPNI's plan for Tel-Aviv's CoastalPark
