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Home , Givat Shaul, Mahane Yehuda Market, Mamilla

Downtown The Story of Jerusalem’s City Center and Its Regeneration

Editors: Amnon Ramon  Aviel Yelinek  Asaf Vitman

Jerusalem  2011

עדן החברה לפיתוח מרכז ירושלים מכון ירושלים הרשות לפיתוח ירושלים לחקר ישראל THE JERUSALEM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies Established by the Charles H. Revson Foundation

JIIS Studies Series no. 410

Downtown Jerusalem The Story of Jerusalem’s City Center and Its Regeneration

Editors: Amnon Ramon, Aviel Yelinek, Asaf Vitman

Publications coordinator: Hamutal Appel Language editing: Shlomo Arad Proofreading: Michal Korach, Hamutal Appel Photo research: Amnon Ramon, Aviel Yelinek Index: Hamutal Appel, Esti Boehm Graphic design: Rami & Jaki Studio / Elena Kuznetsov Printed by Hauser Press

This publication was made possible with the support of the Jerusalem Development Authority and the Charles H. Revson Foundation, New York.

The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors.

ISSN 033-8681

Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies © 2011 The Hay Elyachar House 20 Radak St., Jerusalem 92186 Israel www.jiis.org [email protected] A long line of people deserve my thanks for their contribution to this work. At the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies (JIIS) I am indebted to former director-general Ora Ahimeir, to her successor Meir Kraus, and to Prof. Yaacov Bar-Siman-Tov – it was JIIS, in conjunction with the Jerusalem Development Authority and its subsidiary, Eden, that initiated and nurtured this project. My thanks go too to members of the JIIS Academic Committee – Dr. Emanuel Sharon, Dina Rachevsky and Prof. Arza Churchman, who read and commented on the manuscript – and to Prof. Yehoshua Ben-Arieh for his insights on the history chapter and for sharing his work on Jerusalem in the time of the British mandate. Special thanks to JIIS researchers Dr. Maya Choshen, Israel Kimhi (who also penned a chapter) and Michal Korach for their valuable comments. The contribution of the many planners and other experts, some of whom contributed chapters, is appreciated, as are the efforts of Lior Bar-Dor, deputy directory of Eden. I am especially grateful for the assistance of my co-editors – Asaf Vitman and Aviel Yelinek – both of whom wrote significant parts of this book. Thanks to graphic artist Elena Kuznetsov from Rami & Jaki Studio, who designed the book, and to Hamutal Appel who saw the book through to the finish line.

Amnon Ramon IV

[ A beautiful arcade in the old Shmidt College (). Photo: Gustavo Sagrosky ] the city’s all-time thoroughfare, became a pedestrian mall; several efforts to halt this deterioration.Ben-Yehuda Street, made Municipality Jerusalem the 1980s-90s the During ofthecity. part to thesouthern primarily while cultural and recreational institutions were established , and Shaul Givat in , developed have hubs commercial competing Shaul; Givat and Jarrah Sheikh to or Ram, Givat at campus government the to moved from the city center as well: government ministries have Major offices and even public institutions have relocated neighborhoods that have burgeoned since the Six Day War. and towns satellite for new city inner the and Jerusalem downtown abandoned have Residents center. city the characterize to come has that decay the in clarity particular with seen be can Jerusalem’sstate troubled ofIsraelisociety.sectors substantial by held city the of image downbeat the and migration, negative status, socioeconomic declining a be attributed to a variety of cause-and-effect perspectives: Jerusalem has been on the wane for a generation. This can and Its Regenerationand Its ofJerusalem'sThe Center City Story Downtown Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem Municipality. The plan constitutes an attempt investment on the part of the Israeli government and the financial a major represents that endeavor an ambitious is book this in described plan renewal center city The center renewal process thatcontinuestoday. city the of beginning the marked This established. was Authority) Development Jerusalem the of subsidiary (a and Eden, the Jerusalem Center Development Company effort, municipal the support to mobilized government Israeli the when 2001, in occurred change Meaningful city’s considerably. attractiveness the marred that events − 03) - (2000 Intifada Second the during Jerusalem in perpetrated attacks terrorist trends; this awareness intensified in the wake of the horrific and budgetary effort would be needed to reverse existing organizational comprehensive and concentrated more 1990s it had become clear to the authorities that a much Square was dedicated in 1993. However, by the end of the Safra at complex municipality refurbished newly a and the nearby Nahalat Shiv’a neighborhood was revitalized;

Abstract V – unprecedented in Israel – to approach Jerusalem’s on the city center − the historical core that embodies renewal and revitalization in a logical and considered the city’s uniqueness and elicits pride on the part of its manner − despite a prevailing sense that the city is a residents. “lost cause.” At the heart of Jerusalem’s renewal plan lies a conviction Behind the plan is the premise that downtown Jerusalem that the city’s dignity can indeed be restored, and that its is the city’s “beating heart,” and that proper functioning downtown can be transformed into a lively, vital urban of this heart is essential if the city as a whole is to thrive. hub, as has been done in recent years with the historical Policymakers and planners look to city center rehabilitation cores of various European and American cities. as a key means of halting Jerusalem’s decline, stimulating Jerusalem’s historic downtown lies at the city’s geographical its economy, and improving its image in the eyes of its center, and is still the natural meeting place for its diverse residents and of the Israeli public at large. populations. It is adjacent to the , an attraction of According to this view, central Jerusalem exemplifies the the first magnitude for most tourists in Israel. The city’s uniqueness, and its buildings tell the story of its pedestrian mall, which opened in 2008 and links Jaffa historical development. Cities with declining downtowns Gate with the city center, is creating new opportunities VI generally suffer from decentralized land use, a phenomenon to develop Jerusalem’s downtown as an attraction for that impairs proper urban functioning. Consequences of tourists, both Israeli and foreign. Downtown Jerusalem’s urban decentralization include waste of land, corroding architectural distinctiveness, which makes it a kind of living infrastructures (roads, electricity, water, sewage etc.), museum documenting the last 150 years of the city’s ineffectual public transportation (resulting in greater history, as well as its pedestrian-friendly urban fabric, are reliance on private vehicles), increased air pollution, and assets capable of distinguishing it from the competing difficulty in maintaining open spaces. commercial centers of Talpiot, Malha and . The process of revitalizing Jerusalem’s core has been based, The city center renewal process is currently in full force; to a great extent, on world experience − particularly that consequently, it is still too early to determine whether its of Europe and the US. The declining status of downtown planners succeeded at their task. The global economic areas and the rapid suburbanization that took place in crisis that erupted in late 2008 has added yet another the Western world decreased the attractiveness of cities; dimension of uncertainty regarding both the public this in turn led to lower municipal incomes, reduced sector’s ability to sustain its extensive investment and the investment, and the physical decay of buildings and private sector’s ability to fund large projects downtown public spaces, particularly in city centers. Over the past and in the vicinity of the city’s major entrance, to the generation these processes have brought about a new west, destined to become Jerusalem’s “City.” recognition of the importance of downtown areas, and Within the framework of these constraints, and nine years greater investment in their renewal and revitalization. after Eden’s establishment, we will now assess the degree Moreover, competition between cities − a phenomenon to which the Jerusalem renewal project has succeeded, that has intensified over the last few decades due to global and the difficulties that it has encountered. economic changes − has boosted awareness of urban A. Regarding the need for a substantial increase of building renewal as a key means of highlighting a given city’s area in the city center − to accommodate commercial unique features and differentiating it from other locales. activity, tourist accommodation and residential units In many cases renewal efforts have focused primarily required to ensure economic growth − one can already Heichal Hamishpatcomplex plannedforStreet. Hillel the in courtrooms of concentration the is Jerusalem for important Particularly capitals. district Israeli other several in done been has center, as city the in offices government decision to concentrate district government a entail would sector public the by construction Office achieved. been has breakthrough major no jobs), new brings also (which space office Regarding Street. Agron on Hotel Palace the on started has construction sector hotel the in while Shiv’a), Nahalat to (adjacent Road Jaffa on center commercial seven-storey new a on begun has construction sphere, commercial the In sector.private the on construction of kind this impose to difficult is it however,residents; middle-class and students people, young for apartments smaller of construction the encouraging for up taken been have ideas of number A units. residential to addition in accommodation, tourist and activity commercial offices, for space of provision the on conditional projects new for permits making of In order to address this problem a policy has been adopted up real estate prices. vacancy turn these projects into “ghost towns” and push of periods long The growth. economic and fabric social to the city’s little and the contribute year during periods want their own place in Jerusalem but stay for only short who abroad from Jews mainly − clientele wealthy a for construction taking place consists of residential projects One criticism that has been raised in this regard is that most advanced planningstages. ones) have been built in recent years, while others are in million sq. m. by 2020. Several projects (mainly residential to a projected doubling of the existing building area to 3 leading rights, building augmenting and preserving for defined been have parameters downtown; denser a for via Eden, is advancing urban construction plans that call see the beginnings of change. The Jerusalem Municipality, the city’s main pedestrian mall, with the light rail running (from Road Tsahal to Square the ) northern and western neighborhoods, and to make Jaffa Jerusalem’sfrom center the to access easy provide to expected is development, of stages final its in now line, The plan’s flagship project is the light rail system. The first accessible. more downtown the make to been has aim main The system. transportation public entire city’s the to changes comprehensive effected have Plan, Master the Ministry of Transport, via the Jerusalem Transportation and Municipality plan.The renewal the of component major a is accessibility center’s city the Improving B. in new pedestrian malls (first and foremost, ), Road), Jaffa foremost, and (first malls pedestrian new in priority to pedestrians. This translates into a large investment clear gives policy traffic new the itself, center city the In dedicated lanes. along running (BRT) system bus environmental-friendly andimproved an be would problems transportation the most effective and appropriate solution toJerusalem’s that and downtown, activity economic to substantially contribute not will Herzl Mount and center city the to neighborhoods northern the from line rail light one of renewal plan as a whole. Critics contend that the launching the public to lose faith not only in the light rail, but in the caused has delay The planned. than longer much taken the light rail, whose infrastructural/track-laying work has Most of the criticism in this area has been directed toward in it. traffic car the minimizing while accessibility Jerusalem’s centralimprove to is then, aim, Theit. along parking abundant with center the road” around a “ring creating and it to leading roads the expanding by automobiles, private of drivers the to accessibility Jerusalem’s central improve to supposed also is plan The malls. pedestrian downtown the of creation the and work infrastructure the of portion major a possible made project rail light completed. Major government budgets allocated to the lane from southern Jerusalem to the city center has been transit public a dedicated Additionally, middle. its along VII Abstract expanded sidewalks, narrowed roads, modernized access D. Renewal of the city center entails strengthening its status for people with disabilities, and new public squares on vis-à-vis its major commercial competitors: Malha Mall the model of the IDF, Davidka, Zion, Valero and Hillel and shopping centers in Talpiot. The city center operates Street squares. in a competitive market, and has the disadvantages of poor accessibility, a negative image and longstanding “Restoring” the streets of downtown Jerusalem to the neglect. In order to resolve these issues it was decided to public should stimulate demand for residential units and adopt a multi-year plan that would include aspects such for employment, commercial and hotel facilities. Overall as public relations, marketing, advertising and special- investment in developing city center infrastructures is event production in the city center. Intensive community expected to amount to NIS 300 million (not including work is being carried out by the Lev Ha’Ir Community funds invested in the light rail), NIS 170 million of which Council, based on the Mahane Yehuda Market model, will have been invested in new pedestrian malls, public with the aim of involving merchants, property owners, squares, internal roads, the “ring road” circling the city residents and the downtown student population in the center, and upgraded infrastructures. renewal process. One major problem visitors to Jerusalem’s center have to VIII One major criticism in this regard is the failure to establish face is parking. Initially, the policy was to limit the number a city center management company (a joint municipal/ of downtown parking lots, as a means of encouraging commercial mechanism for managing the city center), the public to use mass transit. Recently, however, and as has been done in Europe and the US. Town center due to public outcry, it was decided to try to increase the management companies (TCMs) or business improvements number of parking spaces along the ring road. districts (BIDs) are widely known for their contribution to C. Economic growth based on long-term investment the regeneration of city centers. They provide services, such entails modern, high-capacity infrastructures. Most of as cleaning streets, security, making capital improvements, downtown Jerusalem’s infrastructures date from the and marketing the area. Such services are supplemental British Mandate, some even go back to the period of to those already provided by the municipality. The last Ottoman rule. The city center renewal process has included decade saw a number of municipal programs claiming replacement of all water, sewage, drainage, electrical and the importance of creating such a company in Jerusalem’s communication infrastructures by the Gihon municipal center. The absence of a city center management company water company, Israel Electric Corporation, and Bezeq harms the regeneration process. Today, only a few months telephone company. Infrastructure replacement involves after the completion of the works in some new pedestrian numerous conflicts and tensions due to the amount of malls, ugly stains deface them. This can be addressed by time that it takes. These investments also greatly increases making Eden the city center’s management company. the cost of projects in the public space. However, they E. The center’s attractiveness depends directly on its are essential for the city center’s economic prosperity; appearance − on the beauty of its buildings, streets all in all, they are the price that the current generation and squares. Jerusalem’s natural assets, including its is paying for those that follow. Upgraded infrastructures Mandate-era buildings, are known to all, but they need are supposed to make it possible to double the scope to be relieved of their layers of soot and grime. Efforts to of city center construction, thereby avoiding the familiar improve downtown Jerusalem’s aesthetic status include scenario of periodic street disruptions due to infrastructure planting thousands of new trees, cleaning building facades, repairs. renovating display windows, upgrading street lighting, to Shlomzion Hamalka Street is particularly important), Mamilla pedestrian mall (in this context the connection City and the city center can be achieved by means of the economic activity. A closer physical link Jerusalem’s between the Old downtown increase substantially will that ties − center city the and City Old the between ties most relevant to the visitor. Hence the need to strengthen attraction, the city center should be the commercial hub Jerusalem’stourist is main City Old the City. Yetwhile Israel come to Jerusalem, and most of them visit the Old in arrive who tourists of 90% Some city. the visiting G. Jerusalem’s Old City is the main attraction for tourists awaits government funding. year ago in an architectural competition; implementation a chosen was Hamishpat Heichal for design A overall. activity commercial expand and downtown, employed people of number the increase area, the in firms their to base attorneys as it encourage will activity, economic daytime for important particularly is project Hamishpat government offices’ return to the city center. The Heichal district the and Street, Hillel on courtrooms city’s the of all house to expected is that project Hamishpat Heichal promote major employment hubs. Examples include the to and buildings office new of infrastructure an create to made being is effort center,an city the in activity activity during the day. In order to encourage employment commercial and economic generate hubs employment hours, nighttime and evening the area’s during vitality the maintain population residential and activity cultural Jerusalem’sdowntown hubs.While employment main city’s the of one as status its F. preserve must center The owner buildings. multi- in particularly − owners property private-sector by now to up shown interest of lack the is point weak project’sThecost. the of half to up funding Eden with begun also has facades building the clean to project A responded. have hundreds date, to and, windows store business owners have received incentives to upgrade their local framework, this Withinsidewalks. repaving and International International Convention Center (Binyanei HaUma) while the expanding significantly and dormitories, student of a constructing Tolerance, Museum building campus), the city center (from the distant university objective. Projects include relocating Bezalel Academy to this achieving at aimed projects several undertake to decided recently was it Jerusalem In people. young to a thriving cultural life and an environment that is attractive H. Revitalizing the inner city and the city center presupposes Hanevi’im Street. and Road Jaffa upgrading and Square IDF renovating to the downtown area, but rather the creation of creation the rather “new”but area,downtown the to institutions existing of relocation the not involve to has any cultural development that takes place in the city center Thus, institutions. of such for development the available Khan Theater, etc.); in any case, the city center has no land the city’s southern part (Cinematheque, Jerusalem Theater, already established and functioning effectively, primarily in Yet another problem is that large cultural institutions are funding. of lack a to due delayed been has project Bezalel the on work construction Moreover, it. within than center,rather the surrounding areas in located are institutions Jerusalem’s cultural of most that is difficult development cultural center city makes What downtown area, asawhole. andto thecity the importance of the student population to Jerusalem’s recognizes which State, the by funded is assistance This area. downtown the to students many brought far thus city center via a monthly rent subsidy of $100, which has the in reside to encouraged are Students School. Sapir Even the housed formerly that structure expanded an by served be will − group Theater Jerusalem the and based performance groups − Psik Theater, the Incubator, Jerusalem- additionally,three Music; New and Media Workshop and Naggar (“”) School of Photography, Print Jerusalem complex, School FilmMa’aleh the of expansion a major include initiatives cultural Additional Station. Bus Central the and rail light Jerusalem the line, train future Aviv Jerusalem-Tel the to it connecting also IX Abstract culture downtown. The main emphasis is supposed to be on Jerusalem’s “multicultural” character, embodied in small, localized initiatives that employ the city’s human and cultural diversity as its main “drawing card.” The aforementioned difficulties notwithstanding, the glass is still half full. After a long period of neglect, recent years have witnessed a serious effort to rehabilitate downtown Jerusalem. The city center renewal plan is a comprehensive undertaking, with policy mechanisms that address both the physical and social dimensions − issues related to public space, transport, culture, and more. Jerusalem is the only city in Israel to benefit from a combined effort on the part of governmental, municipal and private entities − an effort organized and implemented via a company dedicated to the endeavor. Although difficulties have been X encountered along the way, the first glimmers of success can be discerned: a construction boom downtown, the opening of new businesses (including brand-name stores), a rise in the number of visitors to the city center, a rising resident student population, exuberant night life, etc. Nevertheless, the road to downtown Jerusalem’s full rehabilitation remains a long one. It should be recalled that the philosophy behind the city center renewal plan is one of long-term investment, whose outcome must be judged from a historical perspective. If the regeneration plan of Jerusalem’s city center succeeds in its aim to stimulate demand for residential, commercial, office and recreational space, making it a vibrant and lively place, then we will witness meaningful change to the city’s economic and socio-cultural status. It is our hope that this renewal effort, as a municipal and national undertaking, will be accompanied by an economic upswing and by a consolidation of Jerusalem’s status as the nation’s capital and as a world-class city.