About

Education

B.Arch – Architecture and Town Planning
With Distinction
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (2009- 2014)

M.A – Geography and Environmental Studies
With Distinction
Haifa University (2002-2005)
Dissertation title: Telephone traffic in remote rural areas: The case of Gilat Satellite Network in Peru.

B.Sc – Combined degree of Electrical engineering and Computer sciences
Tel-Aviv university (1996-2000)

Experience

Urban Design, Planning and Architecture

District Manager at the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel (2022- )

The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites is a NGO with an official mandate to deal with the historical heritage in Israel and its intangible and tangible aspects. The council consists of headquarters departments as well as geographical districts. My district includes the Western Galilee area, Acco, Haifa, Carmel Shore and Menashe areas. In total, 240 urban and rural settlements, as well as numerous sites in open areas.

My duties as district manager:
Vision and strategy development; Definition, prioritization and management of tasks; Team management; Initiation of projects related to the conservation and leveraging of heritage sites; Management of strategic and professional connections with municipal and governmental entities and position holders, as well as with the public; Participation in planning processes, including planning committees’ discussions; Provision of feedback on building permits and plans; Initiation of educational programs; Lecturing on various aspects of heritage conservation and planning in historical environments; Information management.

Teaching Fellow at the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion Israel Institute of Technology (2022- )

Freelance Architect, Heritage conservation and Values Oriented Planning (2021- )

Heritage survey and mapping for sites and rural settlements at the Jezreel Valley, via “Maase Shimur” office.
Heritage and Conservation surveys for rural settlements.

Director of Projects at the Municipality of Haifa, City Planning Office, Buildings & Sites Conservation Department (2018-2021)

Manage a large-scale heritage survey project outsourced to fifteen providers, including budget allocations, calls for proposals, timelines and deep involvement in the actual surveys’ data and conclusions.
Define survey methodologies.
Responsible for maintaining the city of Haifa’s conservation lists.
Initiate, specify and maintain GIS/WEB-based infrastructure for gathering and presenting heritage data on various interfaces for surveyors, municipality units and the public.
Write ‘Heritage Oriented Planning’ policy papers and plans.
Provide guidelines and guidance to architects designing in historical environments.
Share knowledge and cooperate with various entities and stakeholders within the municipality and externally.

Freelance urban planner for Ram Eisenberg Environmental Design Office (2013-2017)

Lead a multidisciplinary policy paper and master plan for pedestrian realm, public space and urban experience – for the city of Tel Aviv Yafo.
Prepare a master plan and urban trails layout for public space and ‘story gardens’ and parks – for the city of Holon.

Independent developer of multimedia aided methodologies for analyzing and presenting qualitative information about places and people and turning them to clear conclusions (2015-2020)

Insights on a new suburban quarter through the eyes of its residents.
Research about people’s views of their life environment.
Interpretation and illustration of transportation issues in the Tel Aviv Metro area.
Survey about life during COVID19.

Planner and designer of “Nalewki–Anders Square” (2013-2014)

Plan and infill design for the Muranów neighborhood of Warsaw, Poland, inspired by historical layers and based on an extensive historical-urban research. Submitted as a final project in architecture studies, presented and gained support among professionals in Warsaw.

Creator and Founder of Haifa Trail (2011-)

A multi-segment 70-Kilometer urban trail. The trail weaves together a curation of Haifa’s top sites, leveraging the city’s unique DNA. A grassroots initiative adopted by the municipality. Included field survey, layout, design & marketing.

Information Technology

Product Manager at National Geographic Personal Explorer (2007-2009)
As a global licensee of National Geographic, the company developed a ground-breaking navigation and travel product for mobile devices. Served as the website product manager, content product manager, and carried out competitive analysis. Position included working with external providers and the client in the US.

Integration Engineer at the R&D Department of Gilat Satellite Networks (1998 – 2007)
Gilat manufactures satellite communications terminals, that are installed mostly in remote locations globally. I Installed and tested Gilat’s satellite communications hardware-software setups. Performed tests, tracked bug reports and suggested improvements. Took part in on-site installations of new systems worldwide and provided technical support and training for operators in Mexico, Peru and Australia among other countries.

Senior Lecturer at Logtel Communications (2001 – 2007)
Specialist in broad telecommunications courses for non-technical audience. Developed bottom-up, integrative and intuitive training methodologies for such audience. Courses delivered in Israel and overseas in English.

Geography, Travel and Tourism

Multimedia products and productions (1997-)

Creator of the first independent Hebrew travel website – “Libi Bamizrah” – an introductory guide to East Asia (1997 – ).
Author of the “India and Nepal” Travel Guidebook, published by “Yediot Ahronot Books” (2001 – 2003).
Author and Publisher of “China Travel Journal” (“Yoman Sin”), specification and maintenance of accompanying website (2006 – 2008).
Photographer and producer of unique landscape presentations circulated on the Internet (2002 – 2010).
Creator, format developer and editor of “Svivon” nature and environment magazine – A visual geographical magazine issued as a Power Point presentation and distributed via the Internet (2004 – 2010).
Winner of the 2004 “Pratt” Prize for Environmental Journalism for “Svivon” (2004).
Creator of “Israel – Earth’s Microcosm” visual campaign for Israel (2005).
Constructor, content writer and manager of the “Haifa Trail” website (2011-).

Tours (2016-)

Guide urban walks and workshops via a multidisciplinary approach – culture, architecture, environment, urban nature and in between.

Lectures and Talks (2002-)

Experienced lecturer since 1993. Currently bring together my various knowledge fields into audio – visual talks for a variety of audiences.

World references (1993-)

Explored sixty countries across six continents, in independent journeys as well as business trips. In recent years focus on exploring and documenting urban and rural environments.

Additional details available upon request

Ever since I remember myself I cannot do without traveling, exploring and observing. As a child, those qualities were promoted by my parents, solely in the premises of the land of Zion.

Back in 1996 I went on a long trip in East Asia. This trip was an outstanding experience, and brought to a breakthrough in my relationship with the world and the outdoors. To share the experience, I built “Libi Bamizrah” independent website for travelers to East Asia, a pioneering web project at that time.

I started studying in Tel Aviv University for a B.Sc degree in Electronics Engineering and Computer Sciences. In order to maintain my sanity (solving integrals wasn’t enough), I also combined work in “Gilat Satellite Communications” and travel – mainly in Israel, Europe and America.

After completing my studies, I went on a long trip to South Asia – India and Nepal. I met many travelers who were not satisfied with the existing guidebooks, thus, decided to write a new guidebook: “India and Nepal – a Travel Guide”, which was published in Israel by “Yediot Ahronot” publishing house.

During the work on the book I worked as a senior lecturer in “Logtel” communications. In parallel, started studying geography for M.A degree. I completed the studies in Haifa University. The dissertation I wrote combined between geography and my work in the telecommunications field: A quantitative research about the Gilat rural satellite telephone network installed in remote villages in Peru.

A beginners-luck flash floods chasing trip to the Negev desert and a photo presentation I sent following it, became a comprehensive documentation project. Sights of floods, snow, blossom – all experienced in Israel, were packed into Power-Point presentations and circulated throughout the Internet. Thus I became a “Geographic photographer”. An environmental byproduct of the presentations was then introduced – “Svivon” – “A wandering Magazine of Nature and Environment in Israel”. This initiative won the 2004 “Pratt” prize for Environmental Journalism.

After concluding the M.A. duties, I traveled in China. Prior trips and the geography studies upgraded my point of view and led to unique experiences. A decision was made to write another book, this time, with emphasis on the journey and its qualities in the overwhelming Chinese location.
As a publisher of the “China Travel Journal” book, this production turned out to be a challenging yet fascinating project. In parallel, I continued working in “Gilat Satellite Networks” and later as a product manager in “National Geographic Personal Explorer” – a global licensee of National Geographic, which developed a navigation and content product solution for travelers based on a mobile device.

I then returned to academic studies, this time in the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, for five years of Architecture and Town Planning studies for B.Arch degree. It was a fantastic journey and a significant addition to my academic “tool box”, widening my perspective about the world and the ability to react and influence. The studies final project took me to Warsaw, Poland, where I planned and designed structures in Andersa Street, inspired by pre-WWII layers.

Following the architecture studies I was involved in strategic projects related to the urban realm. I was mainly involved in leading a walkability and city experience research and policy paper for the municipality of Tel Aviv Jaffa.

From 2018 to 2021 I worked as a project director in the Buildings and Sites Conservation Department, in the Municipality of Haifa. This interdisciplinary position involved managing city values surveys, information systems specifications and utilization, cooperation with academic institutions, guiding architects and planners, writing policy papers, and providing service to the public.

From 2021, after gaining experience in various aspects of natural and manmade heritage conservation, I turned to deal independently with conservation surveys and values based planning.

From 2022 I am a teaching fellow at the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion Israel Institute of Technology. I teach in urban design courses.

In 2022 I started working as a District Manager for the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel. At this multidisciplinary position I can harness various fields of experience for the benefit of leveraging and developing historical sites and environments.

Pratt Award for Environmental Journalism is granted by The Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership and the Pratt Foundation. The Award is designed to raise awareness among the Israeli public and the media community about the social, economic, cultural and ethical aspects of the environmental crisis in Israel. I was granted the award for the “Svivon” environment E-Magazine.

Head of the 2004 Award Committee: Prof. Avishay Braverman, president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Winners of the 2004 Pratt award

Guy Shachar, The independent media (The Internet) for “Svivon” E-Magazine
Emanuel Rosen, The electronic media (Television and Radio)
Guy Leshem, The print media
Ori Binder, The local print