Short-term projects
The municipality is promoting a detailed urban renewal plan in Wadi Nisnas, presented to the Local Planning and Building Committee on December 16, 2020. Alongside new guidelines that have statutory significance, the program aims to produce place-focused interventions aimed at contributing to urban renewal (in the broader sense of the word). Through these interventions, the municipality seeks to promote short-term projects that will transform the neighborhood, benefit its residents and make the public space more qualitative. These place-focused interventions (“placemaking”) will be promoted, emphasizing the relationship between physical planning and the social aspects involved, and with stakeholders involved in the planning and execution process
First project: ‘Lev HaShuk’ (‘The heart of the market’)
Aim: To upgrade a public space located in the heart of the Wadi Nisnas market while providing solutions of shade, suitable lighting and seating for the benefit of residents, nearby business owners and market visitors.
The project aims to improve the quality of planning and development of the public space in the market, and to be the first project for the continued development of the public space on Yohanan Hakadosh Street.
Summary of the details:
- Location: Lot 12337, Lot 26 (partially) and Lot 59 (partially), Wadi Nisnas neighborhood
- Area size: 106 sqm.
- Ownership: Haifa Municipality.
- Zoning of the land in approved condition: Residential and road.
- Zoning of the land in proposed condition: Various alternatives under consideration.
Planning Guidelines:
- The plaza is designed to create a pleasant shaded space for residents and visitors.
- The planning will take into account the local context, values worth preserving and encourage the inclusion of local art.
- The planning will be particularly sensitive to the needs of nearby business owners, and ensure the creation of a space with a distinct public nature that is open for use by the general public.
- In the planning, the proposals’ ongoing and long-term maintenance considerations will be taken into account.
- Status (October 2021): in process. A planning team has been selected, several meetings were held in the field with elected officials, business owners and residents; a planning team is preparing alternatives.
- Leading Entities: Haifa 2030 and Yefe Nof
Partner Entities: Engineering Administration – Urban Renewal Department and Property Division, Operations Administration, Wadi Nisnas Community Center
Second Project: The “Balcony” of the wadi (temporary name)
Aim: To turn an empty plaza into a high-quality living space for the benefit of business and tourism activities in the wadi and for the residents’ benefit. The project aims to maximize the potential of a relatively open space, rare in the neighborhood, located near small businesses along a central street in the wadi.
Summary of the details:
- Location: Lot 12336, Lot 17, Wadi Nisnas
Small businesses are one of the most important growth engines in Haifa, and the municipality sees them as the cornerstone in building the urban economy in its domain. Therefore, it is investing efforts in supporting their activities in various ways. This document focuses on one of the issues on which the municipality can directly influence – access to municipal tenders.
We should note that the municipality operates within a regulatory framework, at the core of which are the municipal tenders regulations from 1987. In general, it can be argued that when it comes to the level of service and the adaptation of tenders to small businesses, these regulations set a low bar for the municipality compared to the standard set by the Tenders Law of 1992, which applies to government bodies and corporations on their behalf. The significance of some of the proposals presented here that the municipality will adopt, in whole or partially, originate from the Tenders Law according to which all governmental bodies operate at the national level.
- Area size: 137 sqm.
- Ownership: Development Authority (obtaining permission for use from the Israel Land Authority).
- Zoning of the land in approved condition: Residential.
- Zoning of the land in proposed condition: Not yet determined, various alternatives under consideration.
Planning Guidelines:
- The plaza is intended to create a pleasant living space for residents and visitors, and will at least include seating and tables.
- The planning will take into account the local context and encourage the integration of local art.
- The planning will be particularly sensitive to the needs of residents living in close proximity to the plaza, and thought will be given to the conflicts that may arise and their resolution.
- Considerations for ongoing and long-term maintenance of the proposed plaza will be taken into account in the planning.
- Status (as of October 2021): Feasability study in advanced stages – removing propriety barriers.
- Leading Entities: Haifa 2030, Urban Renewal Department
- Partner Entities: Yefe Nof, Community Division, Welfare Division, Beit HaGefen, Operations Administration
