“There may be others more beautiful, but as none as beautiful as she”

Tel Aviv from the Seashell Lottery in 1909 to its designation as a World Heritage city in 2003, is a city of neighborhoods, of people and of  public interaction. Naama Lissar, a native Tel Avivian, urban planner, and OpenPlans’ Community Tools Planner, gave a presentation about the historical context of Tel Aviv’s urban planning and architecture.

Tel Aviv is a modernist city: the city’s architects embraced the International style, and created a local interpretation of their own. Le Corbusier must have teared up at its sight. Openness and connection to the environment was king: open plan (!) buildings atop pilotes, ringed with strip windows, balconies and crowned with roof gardens.  These free- standing four-story buildings in Geddes block clusters face onto courtyards that offer civic buildings and public space. Through-traffic is confined to main streets and wide boulevards. Boulevards and major civic buildings align with the sea and the sea is always within view. (see slides 11-16).

The tradition of this planning is seen today – Tel Aviv has a street and public space culture.

Naama’s whose job here at OpenPlans is exploring civic participation and building community is clearly the product of a city whose style is that open, accessible and free from borders.

View the slideshow here.