ECOWEEK 2012 in the Middle East
WORKSHOP Leaders: Daniel Pearl (Architect, L’OEUF, Canada) Suzanne Deschamps (Vice President, Groupe Pacific, Canada) Bracha Kunda (Architect, Interior Design, HIT, Israel) Eitan Bartal (Designer, Communications Department, HIT, Israel)
WORKSHOP Team: Sivan Gal, Sharon Rosenzaig, David ben David, Alon Michaeli, Naama Dagan, Batel Yossef, Matan Eshel, Sapir Tsach, Hila Kitrey Bar-Nof, Adi Levi-Eitan, Ravit Gal, Adi Gov, Lior Molcho, Ayelet Rozio, Yoav Zaidel, Ilia Feldshtein, Kim Rasoumoff, Noa Salpeter, Masha Machlinovsky, Danielle Ventura.
WHAT:
We have recognized that bike routes must respond to various needs fora variety of users:
• Local worker residents interested in leaving their car behind and commuting efficiently with trains, dedicated bus routes and eventual light transit, will require direct routes where efficiency and mixed-use programming are seamlessly sewn together: Nodes will combine bike storage, rental, cafes, daycare, showers and gyms - to provide the comfort and variety that will outperform the private car experience.
• Local residents wanting a leisurely experience, will be able to visit the local institutions (schools, libraries, community centers) and daily activities (local food markets, daycares, cafes, etc... .
• Visitors and tourists will be able to follow a dedicated green path connecting all of Holon’s galleries and museums.
• Everyone will be able to enjoy and understand the history of Holon’s development as it’s early northern commercial axis, Sokolov, is revital- ized and interconnected via two parallel, northsouth bike paths, with its new institutional axis to the south.
HOW:
Through a series of proposed sectional modifications, via “access by proximity” as a key concept in envisioning healthy mixed-use settle- ment patterns (quote from Richard Register, from a United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) paper on: “21 issues for the 21st Century”. UNEP Foresight Process on Emerging Environmental Issues lists “Boosting Urban Sustainability and Resilience” as a top global priority.
VISION:
Bike routes throughout Holon can create a myriad of threads, connect- ing the various layers of Holon’s identity, weaving its diverse fabric into a rich, urban tapestry. Bike routes can empower Holon’s numerous communities and connect its people while creating healthier environmental conditions. An integrated active transport planning strategy can mediate between top down vision – and bottom up community needs. It can form a bridge between identity and branding.
WHY:
Holon, like many municipalities worldwide, was created in an era where Urban Planning was overseen by traffic engineers. The four elements at the core of high quality urban lifestyle - Complexity, Compacity, Efficiency and Stability - were not yet part of daily thinking, where within a 5 minute walk or 400 meters, one could find most of what one needed by foot or bike. We are proposing, via urban acupuncture, a series of strategies that will provide the lungs, hopes and aspirations for Holon’s future, where “Greening and Densifying”is balanced with “Cultural Diversity”and “SocioEconomic Revitilization”.
Through a series of interwoven bike route themes - including Green, Culture, Extreme and Routine, Holon can become accessible to all.
If you liked this post, find more here: http://ecoweek.netfirms.com/ecoweekconference.org/ecoweek.co.il/files/2012/files/graphics/ecoweek2012_workshops_catalogue.pdf