Gender inequality in planned cities – Gali

An article in hebrew called “The geography of Fear” suggests that the levels of fear that we feel whenever we want to use the urban space determine our behaviour more than we know. Thanks to questionnaires answers by some women, the writer brings up the following question: is it necessary for open spaces like public gardens in the heart of a residential neighbourhood to be open at all times? what is the price of personal safety in the new technological era we live in (surveillance caneras etc.)?

Participative habitation – how do they do it?

After Nigel went to the first session of the Parisian conference, here are some notes about the case studies that were presented this past Saturday.

The Habitataion Participatif or participative habitation started to appear in France in the 70-80s, and was not very solid. Today, it seems like the prices of housings in Paris and in France are pushing more and more people to this solution. In the conference there were 3 different project presented. In most cases the families don’t know each other before, and are adding people to their groups either based on a vote or based on the location of the house about to be build (ex: in the case of Ivry-sur-Seine, all people were tenants in apartments at that city for years, and give advantage to locals who want to join them). The questions asked were mainly about financing it (two options: 1) personal mortgages 2) a collective one, thanks to a french law allowing new shared mortgages for up to 40-50 years). Apartments in projects are divided by the early requests presented to the group and are usually priced by square meter per family.

Ma’ahal Arlozorov – The first Israeli tent city and it’s continuous struggle of existence

Ma’ahal Arlozorov was set up as a result of the social justice protests, which started in the summer of 2011. As the first tents in 2011 were set up in Rothchild boulevard, at the most expensive urban area in Tel-Aviv city center, the municipality of Tel-Aviv approved the reconstruction of the tent city only in the Volvovsky garden, by Arlozorov train station. There, the heavy traffic and the lack of any other urban occurrence other than transportation will not be able to recreate the same kind of fermentation which led to the 2011 manifestations.

First tents of Ma’ahal Arlozorov, Picture taken by Yotam Ronen

Crowdfunding Campaign Wants to Give $4,000 to Ideas That Improve the Transit Experience – Gali

BY RANDY A. SIMES ― SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Taking transit is not always a gratifying experience. Sure you are reducing your stress by not sitting in traffic, and you’re reducing the impact on both your wallet and the environment. But that does not change the fact that there are many times where you are waiting for your bus or train in unpleasant circumstances.

Police evacuate families from working-class Tel Aviv neighbourhood (Israel) – Gali

After lengthy legal battle, six families of Givat Amal lose their homes.

Israeli police officers during the evacuation of the Givat Amal neighborhood in north Tel Aviv. (Shiraz Grinbaum/Activestills.org)

Police evicted six families from the Givat Amal neighborhood in northern Tel Aviv Thursday morning, after they lost a lengthy court battle for their rights to the land. Residents and community activists gathered in the neighborhood in an attempt to trying to stop the eviction. The residents, who the state placed in the working-class neighborhood soon after its founding in the 1950s, have been leading a struggle to recognize their rights to the property, which were sold to an Israeli businessman in the 1970s.

The land has since exchanged hands to another Israeli mogul, Yitzhak Tshuva, who is planning to turn the neighborhood, comprised of single-family homes and shacks sitting in the heart of one of Tel Aviv’s most expensive neighborhoods, into six high-rise towers.

Five of the families reached an agreement to evacuate, which offered compensation to the residents. One woman, Rivka Chilovsky, refused the agreement and is resisting the evacuation of her home.

Rivka Chilovsky, resident of Givat Amal collapses after police officers enter to her house to convince her to evacuate, Tel Aviv, March 27, 2014. (Shiraz Grinbaum/Activestills.org)

MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) responded to the evacuation by stating that, “on the same day that he sealed a deal to sell off our natural gas, Tshuva is kicking out six families from their homes onto the street. The demands of the residents who were sent to the live in the area by the state in the 1950s are basic and fair.” According to Khenin, he has proposed legislation to ensure that the evacuated families receive alternative housing.

An activist holds a sign reading “Here is my home, I was born here,” in front of Rivka Chilovsky’s house before her eviction, March 27, 2014. (Shiraz Grinbaum/Activestills.org)

 

Residents of Givat Amal in the doorway of their home. The neighborhood is slated for demolition. (Keren Manor/Activestills.org)

 

Original Article.

Latest FB post regarding the eviction (September 15th 2014), inviting to participate in an event (tonight, September 15th, 19:00 Israel local time, 18:00 Paris local time). Two of the participants in the event are Israeli politicians, from two edges of the political map. The manifestation will be covered by the Israeli media.