Planning policy
Most current urban planning and development efforts in Israel are directed toward two main tracks: raze-and-rebuild schemes, that are the most widely implemented form of urban regeneration, and the construction of new neighborhoods through expedited procedures conducted by the National Committee for Planning and Building of Prioritized Housing Sites (the VATMAL).
Raze-and-rebuild projects are based on large-scale demolition of existing buildings and entire urban fabrics, replacing them with new high-density developments, typically residential towers. These processes are driven by the private sector and are therefore evaluated primarily through economic considerations, with far less attention to the social impact on long-term residents. Urban regeneration processes, and the laws enacted to promote them, have become aggressive silencing mechanisms that pressure residents and frame those who object as “recalcitrant.”
In its early years, the VATMAL approved very large new neighborhoods on agricultural land. These neighborhoods damaged vital open spaces while weakening adjacent cities, increasing expenses for local authorities without providing matching sources of revenue while drawing stronger populations away from urban centers. In recent years, following public criticism, the Committee reduced its encroachment on open spaces and shifted its focus toward expanding urban regeneration projects.
Palestinian localities
Planning policy in localities of Palestinian citizens of Israel is marked by discrimination. These towns face severe shortages of land and housing, as well as insufficient public areas, services, and employment opportunities. Although numerous outline and detailed plans have been prepared for Palestinian towns and villages, they have often failed to meet the real needs of residents or their local authorities. Even since 2000—when the state committed to improving the situation—the plans promoted have not adequately addressed the full range of planning and development challenges in Palestinian towns.
These plans are limited in area and building rights and therefore continue to hinder the growth of Palestinian localities, directly affecting the living conditions and opportunities available to Palestinian citizens of Israel. Only since the 2010s have several government decisions and large-scale funding programs been launched to improve various social aspects of these communities, including measures intended to improve planning and other key areas affecting them. However, implementation of these decisions has faced significant obstacles, and state authorities have not yet succeeded, except in a few limited cases, in bringing about substantial improvements in planning and development.
Most of Israel's mixed cities, housing both Jewish and Palestinian citizens, were originally inhabited by Palestinian communities who were forcibly evicted or fled during the 1948 war. Since then, urban development in these cities has primarily served the Jewish population that moved in. Mixed cities are characterized by a unique form of discrimination, including disparities in municipal budgeting, spatial segregation, and conflicts over public space.
