2011

Arad, Israel

3,200,000 Sq"m

Urban Planning & Design, 

Competition

Located only 15 km from the lowest place on earth, Arad is a shrinking desert city that suffers from a large number of red zones.

The red zones are in fact heat islands created by a lack or insufficient shading.

When combining the open areas and the unused spaces throughout the city with the red zones, two clear bands are revealed.
Two bands that make it impossible for Arad to become a walkable city.

These two bands are the key to making Arad the first sustainable desert city in Israel. Through the infill of the bands, the future infrastructure of the urban intensity is created.

 

The planning of the bands, by combining a range of programs such as an environmental faculty as the first step, green housing, urban agriculture, etc, will develop a unique lifestyle, a walking sequence, shaded continuity, and a new way to live a sustainable life in the desert.