urban

Coronavirus lockdown limits our possibility to get away from home. It is an outstanding opportunity to rediscover our immediate environment. Here’s what I found in a radius of 100 meters from home. What did YOU find?

Located in south Serbia, Niš is a historical-cultural crossroads. Interesting archaeology, historical relics and monuments, and remains from troubled times, dot the city together with pleasant streets, vivid street life and nice modernist architecture.

Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital, retains a beautiful architectural legacy from colonial times. Among several interesting styles, an interesting collection of buildings built in modernist and international style designs dot the hilly areas of the city.

What makes Almaty, Kazakhstan’s former capital and its main commercial and cultural hub, so welcoming and attractive? Here’s an introduction to a city which is a journey, a must visit for anyone related to urban design and planning.

Can Soviet public housing be interesting? A tour in Almaty’s residential blocks is a journey through a surprising living environment with intriguing facades.

Novi Beograd was planned during the late 1940s and has been built ever since as an overwhelmingly impressive modernist town. But don’t let the gray look of its brutalist buildings deceive you – unique details, green vegetation, care of locals and vast open areas create a unique environment.

Niš, like any other Serbian town, contains an interesting variety of modernist architecture. From small apartment buildings with delicate simple modernist lines to large high rise brutalist blocks, and magnificent public buildings.

Situated in Vojvodina, north Serbia, close to the border with Hungary, Subotica enjoys influences of various periods and cultures. Delicate architecture from Central Europe meets modernist socialist architecture of Balkan Yugoslavia, decorating the town’s pleasant streets.

The “Carmelit”, Haifa’s underground funicular, is undergoing overall renovation. During the process, old cars are removed, and new ones are inserted. This is not an easy task – cars have to be rotated inside the tiny underground garage. Will the mission be accomplished successfully? Watch original videos and photos.

What can we learn from makeshift housing along active railway tracks about Kolkata, India and people’s lives?

Are “Smart Cities” technologies really solving profound urban problems? It seems that municipal executives rush to adopt technologies rather than lead brave actions towards better management of their domain.

Moscow’s Zaryadye Park is a man-made wild area, an outdoors-indoors organic, flowing and inspirational fabric. But mostly, it blurs the unreasonable existing dichotomy between architecture and landscape architecture.

Repetitive geometrical forms were dominant in soviet architecture and design. It seems that sidewalks were playgrounds for designers to try elaborate repetitive interlocking forms…

Cities with great potential do not need much to become desirable places to live. Failure to maintain and leverage their qualities can rapidly lead to a disaster. Here are 10 definite ways to destroy a city, with Haifa being one of the best cases around.

Yangon authorities have been banning street vendors from downtown Yangon, in order to… make space for private cars. Instead of killing this unique lively urban area, here are some suggestions how to cope with the escalating traffic challenge.

Inspiring projects across Austria commemorate the fate of Jewish people during and following World War II, refresh the sociohistorical discourse in Austria and add meaning to public areas threatened by technology mediated experiences.

The city of Naryn is stretched 15 Milometers along the narrow Naryn river valley in Kyrgyzstan. Lovely hospitable people make up for a place seems forgotten in time.

Some urban scenes from amazing Delhi, December 2016.

Riding Yangon’s circular railway provides a glimpse to people and life in Myanmar. But this train can be much more useful for locals even without a huge investment. Let’s hop on the train and learn what can be done!

A collection of street scenes and people in Kolkata, from a visit in December 2016.

Join a visit to a neighborhood with a mix of small workshops, mainly for processing metal and creating various tools, and tiny dwelling units surrounding common courtyards where meeting and washing take place.

On the 24th of November 2016, the city of Haifa witnessed its first large scale fire. Its delicate greenery surrendered to extreme dry weather, and flames engulfed buildings burning apartments. Several urban nature spots were completely burned. In this photographed diary I describe my day by day experiences – from the day of the fire to field trips in affected areas.

A nostalgic journey back in time to see the iconic Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv under construction, with charming night sights and city views from the top.

Is it a statue? An irrigation device? A refreshing corner for birds and dogs? An intriguing element in the street? Take a look at this interesting urban element…

Exploring the world earns you important skills and tools to become a better architect and city planner; From developing sensitivity and feel for spaces, through learning communication skills to getting inspiration from vernacular architecture.

A footage of Venice in the morning with Vivaldi on the background became an editing Étude, an urban concert dedicated to those who make Venice – sweeping, collecting garbage, loading, carrying and unloading, through the meandering alleys and canals.

Supermoon total lunar eclipse occured on September 28th, 2015. Here are some photos of the moon taken from Old Jaffa and Tel Aviv promenade. And here are sights of Tel Aviv beach early morning following the eclipse  

Waiting to cross the street can be extremely annoying on hot summer days. Placing parasols on the sidewalk in front of pedestrian crossings may provide a relief and encourage walking.

The “Carmelit” is Haifa’s underground funicular, linking the lower city (“Downtown”) at sea level and the Carmel Center at 274 meters above sea level. In July 2015, the main cable of the system was replaced. Watch a video and still photos of the process.

An inspiring visit to Aspern – Seestadt – Vienna’s new suburb. Varied materials, colors and landscape details and a pleasant urban design make this new town a unique model for a new suburb

The Sounds of the Old City festival, is held for the fourth time in the Old City of Jerusalem, bringing various musicians to the vivid paths of the Old City

First signs of winter brought CB clouds to the area, that created beautiful rain curtains and washed the port deck, leaving a double rainbow and smiling people.

The square is shaped by several buildings and structures which bring life into Andersa Street. Inspired by prewar buildings, what shape should they wear?

Not just another metro station, but an integrated space, inspired by prewar buildings layout, connected to the street by natural light and sight, and comfortably accessible using intriguing passages

Creating meaningful public spaces, adding buildings for various uses and construction of a metro station are suggested to create a vivid hub for Muranów, inspired by the life that existed there before the war.

Warm colors wash Warsaw landscape during “Golden Polish Autumn”. A pictorial tour provides an opportunity for a brief insight into Warsaw’s best gardens, streets and tranquil suburbs.

Intervention in Warsaw / Muranów inspired by pre-war urban tissue. Summary of first semester of the project presenting historical development, values, commemoration issues, master plan and sample intervention ideas

Initial intervention ideas inspired by pre-war Warsaw urban tissue are presented through excerpts from a computerized model

In this post we shall get a glimpse to pre-war Warsaw and its urban characteristics, followed by a comparison to current Warsaw, through aerial photos and analyses.

I chose the former Warsaw Ghetto area as the site for the final Architecture and Town Planning studies project. In this post a summary of the first phase of the project is presented – observations, data analysis, history, conflicts, and finally architectural research questions, some ideas and relevant references

Encounters with people of Iceland in the capital Reykjavík, most of them during Menningarnótt – “culture night”

A tour back to Albania’s communist era through sights of Enver Hoxha’s bunkers scattered all over the country

Video coverage of the snow event in Jerusalem – Surrounding the Old City Walls from West to East and visiting picturesque Baka and German Colony

Haifa Trail was initiated as an urban trek, but the trail is more than that – as it identifies and leverages Haifa’s essence or “DNA”, it serves as an important platform for various urban aspects, such as: city branding, community empowering, framework for sport and culture activities and a potential to significantly contribute to the local economy.

Haifa Trail was inaugurated, as Thomas Fietz, a Trail Runner from Germany, completed the 70 Kilometers of the trail in 15 hours, divided to two days. Thomas was the first to complete the whole trail, the first tourist on the trail, and the first to run it.

Can a huge industrial complex in Fier, Albania, can be reused? Site structure analysis may give inspiration to those who care about Albania and may give a new meaning to remains of an era that many Albanians prefer to forget.

Take a look at the streets of Sderot, a town under threat of rockets, where people have only 15 to 30 seconds to find a shelter during rockets alarm

My first bike ride in New York City, in the heart of Manhattan!
Experience the exciting ride yourself…

An aerial tour above San Francisco Bay and the city of San Francisco during sunset gives a unique point of view on one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Rain? Wind? High waves? For some, this is the best time to go out to the sea. Let’s take a look at a winter version of Tel Aviv beach.

The Carmelit, Haifa’s subway system that connects downtown with the Carmel ridge neighborhoods, is now open for bicycle riders. Join the first ride of bikers in the Carmelit.

The melting pot of the Summer 2011 social protest in Israel – Tel Aviv Rothschild boulevard tent city – in photos

A 24 hours visit to New York brings observation into the reciprocity of forms and people taking place above and below ground in the ‘Big Apple’.

Although Earth aerial images are widely available today in the Internet, there’s no substitute to looking out of an airplane window and exploring the earth (or the sea) beneath. Watch a photo presentation of pictures taken during a transatlantic flight from New York to Rome.

A winter day in the middle of the spring brought a thunder stormy morning to Haifa. After half an hour a white blanket of hail covered the neighborhood followed by gushing water filling the small, usually dry, streams draining the slopes.

Palm Sunday was celebrated today in colorful festivities in Downtown Haifa.
Here are some souvenirs from the events…

A nice winter day paints Haifa sky with dark colors on the background of sun lit neighborhoods. The rain that came a few minutes later left its marks on the Technion paths, creating interesting compositions.

A Glimpse of Georgia (Gruzia), the wonderful Caucasus country rich with natural beauty and wonderful people…

Photo coverage of the Elite races of the European Mountain Bike Championship 2010 that took place in Haifa, Israel.

The “Obelisk” is a recent addition to the main courtyard of the Thechnion. Conceived by Santiago Calatrava and dedicated to the memory of Russel Berrie, this unique kinetik statue is a focal point in the Technion.

2009 Delhi is dazzling and enchanting as ever, but with a strong flavor of renovation. The fabulous Metro system, cellular everywhere, CNG operated rickshaws and even rumors about a Main Bazar face lift, bring a fresh sight to India’s vibrant capital.

We all like to admire places from viewpoints, whether natural or man made. This presentation is a journey-quiz through sights seen from man made towers in various countries…

A journey to Romania in April 1999. It was a voyage back in time… Join a journey through Romania’s rural areas as well as some more familiar urban places, and meet its landscapes and people.

Documentation of the construction works of the Santiago Calatrava Pedestrian Bridge above Jabotinsky Road in Petah-Tikva, Israel.

Yin-Yang interpretation of a bird eye view of Venice. Inspired by a visit to Venice that came immediately after a long trip to China

A historical cruise along China’s Yangtze river, where people, villages and towns are relocated due to the rising water level following Three Gorges Dam construction.

A three months long journey is coming to an end, time to checkout the construction works of China’s national stadium in Beijing, which is going to be the focal point of the 2008 Olympic Games. Will I be able to go inside and explore?

Photos from Bulgaria – A trip in Rila, Pirin, Rodopi ranges with a climb to Vihren Peak, and visit in Shiroka Loka, Plovdiv, Sofia, Trigrad Canyon, Bansko and more…

Photographed memories from the New York City World trade Center Twin Towers

A landscape collage made of pieces of photos taken all over the world (USA, UK, Austria, Nepal, Vietnam, Israel, Thailand). The world is indeed made of pieces, and they are all combined to one system…

Some impressions from a short visit to Amsterdam. Surprisingly, most I could see was bicycles.

Fly a spaceship, explore the stars, visit peculiar urban designs and meet some nice machinery… My almost forgotten LEGO designs, mostly from the 1980s.

Photos of Hurricane Camille aftermath in the city of Biloxi Mississippi, taken by Pesach Shachar, at the time an officer training at Keesler Air Force Base.

Images from Turkey – Kaçkar, Erzurum, Kars, Ani, Cappadocia, and more…