MappingassessMentsKiryat Gat 2025

prepared for: The ciTy of kiryaT gaT, israel

prepared by:

date:

graduaTe sTudenTs of:MiT deparTMenT of urban sTudies & planningTau laboraTory for conTeMporary urban design

under The guidance of: prof. Tali haTuka, Tel-aviv universiTy prof. eran ben-Joseph, MiT

March 7, 2012

The following mappings were exercises to gain knowledge about existing conditions, assess proposed plans, find missing linkages, and discover possible relationships between design and planning parameters.

2

population & accessibilitytauteam

Despite its relatively small size, Kiryat Gat is a demographically heterogeneous town, asdifferent neighborhoods reveal different social fabrics and subsequent challenges. Onesuch challenge is physical accessibility, influenced by residents’ age, personal physicaldisabilities, car ownership and distribution of urban focal points within the city. In Kiryat Gatas a whole, approximately 20 percent of the population is over the age of 55, and 11 percentis over the age of 65. The areas with higher percentage of elderly population (over 65) areconcentrated in the northern/central area of the city, spanning an east to west horizontalstrip (see diagram). The areas with higher of percentage of youth population are not concentratedtogether but scattered around, mainly in the city’s outer ring (see diagram). Only onearea reveal congruence of both elderly and youth population high percentage.This general distinction between the city center and the city’s outer ring is further echoedwhen examining parameters such as personal disabilities and car ownership. In five statisticalareas in Kiryat Gat, 10 percent or more of the population have difficulties walking orclimbing stairs – out of which, Beni Israel neighborhood in the eastern part of the city hasthe highest percentage of disabled resident (16.1 percent). In general, 7.3 percent of theoverall population in Kiryat Gat – and 36.2 percent of the elderly population (over 65) – hasdifficulties walking or climbing stairs. In terms of car ownership, the city show great diversity,ranging from areas in which car ownership reaches as high as 78.8 percent (Atarei Hamikraneighborhood) and as low as 23.3 percent (the adjacent neighborhood to the east). Compilinghigh percentage of personal disabilities and low percentage of car ownership reveal(once more) an east-to-west strip, located in the northern/central area of the city.Furthermore, the limited accessibility is aggravated by the location of significant urban focalpoints, amenities and functions, current and future, in the city’s outer ring --- such as leisure,recreation and commerce located around the city hall, mall and auditorium in the southernpart of the city; the train station and industrial area even further to the south; open spacesand sports facilities located in the city’s outskirts; and the future neighborhood located to thenorth. Measuring five minutes walking distances (see diagram) shows that many elderlyresidents, who are often disabled and/or don’t have access to a private car, is deprived ofmany of the city’s current as well as future amenities.

Forest

Agriculture

Public Open Space

Religion

Recreation

Community & Youth

Transportation

Medicine

Sport

Law

Commerce

Education

Welfare

Culture

Industry

Area of influence

Green Spaces & Urban FunctionsGreen Spaces outside and within the city + distribution of city functions and their area of influence. Public open spaces within the city not used as a connecting element between the different functions.

4

population & accessibilitytauteam

the city is expanding - large scale urban projects are utilizing the entire city’s undeveloped quarters.

In the north a new neighborhood is planned over 725 acre containing 8,500 housing units. The plan will splay most of the city’s new housing units for the upcoming years. The northern part of the city consists of three main projects containing 1500 housing units. Two more projects are located in the south east part of the city, parallel to the train’s railway, one is a business district and the other is a new development for an exciting neighborhood. In the east the city is promoting an expansion of the industrial zone. The city is promoting housing and commercial projects in the west part of the city and industrial projects in the east.

The future urban development enhances separation of one set of land use from another. Furthermore, taking a closer look at the projects, there is a feeling they are scattered sporadically throughout the city. There is no master plan guiding the future urban development, no infrastructure connection between the new nodes and the exciting ones. Each project is developed independently and so Kiryat Gat is lacking a vision which sees the city as a whole.

Future Urban DevelopmentThe city is expanding - large scale urban projects are utilizing the entire city's undeveloped quarters.

In the north a new neighborhood is planned over 725 acre containing 8,500 housing units. The plan will splay most of the city's new housing units for the upcoming years. The north-ern part of the city consists of three main projects containing 1500 housing units. Two more projects are located in the south east part of the city, parallel to the train's railway, one is a business district and the other is a new development for an exciting neighborhood. In the east the city is promoting an expansion of the industrial zone. The city is promoting housing and commercial projects in the west part of the city and industrial projects in the east.

The future urban development enhances separation of one set of land use from another.

Furthermore, taking a closer look at the projects, there is a feeling they are scattered sporadically throughout the city. There is no master plan guiding the future urban develop-ment, no infrastructure connection between the new nodes and the exciting ones. Each project is developed independently and so Kiryat Gat is lacking a vision which sees the city as a whole.

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6

regional settlement patterns & ecological gradients

aliceshay

discoveries through the process:• Kiryat Gat is at the center of a region full of a diversity of settlement types.• Many people live in the nearby kibbutzim, moshavim and villages—the settlement area covers more

space than municipal Kiryat Gat.• There is significant variation in the morphologies of the settlements surrounding Kiryat Gat.

interesting relationships you noted

• If the regional settlements around Kiryat Gat are aggregated, they make up a metropolitan size slightly larger than Be’er Sheva.

• The settlement patterns are very much determined by ecological gradients across the region as well as proximity to other municipalities.

• A major band of small scale settlements lies at the midway line between Kiryat Gat to the East and Ashkelon with Sderot to the West. This band lies in a relatively low topography and is in close proximity to green open space and the larger hydrological systems—probably making this land more amenable to agricultural uses.

• The small settlements follow two general patterns: one which centers around an interior core and one which is linear, following small and medium scale road networks.

observations to inform future planning directions

• Kiryat Gat could employ strategies to re-image itself as the hub for a larger, regional settlement zone. This could encourage commuting and a larger identification with Kiryat Gat by the smaller nearby settlements, increasing the community of stakeholders who have a stake in the city’s future development

• The settlement formations provide potential patterns for the infill and expansion developments in Kiryat Gat. Perhaps the external settlements may be guides for the regeneration within the core of Kiryat Gat as well as the urban design of the expansion to the North.

8

Kiryat gat Watersheds & stream flows

merranswartwood

This map shows streams from a 1970s regional hiking map and channels from a contemporary map of the city. Most of these streams only flow seasonally, and some have been buried or channelized to accommodate the growth of Kiryat Gat.

Water in Kiryat Gat flows from the southeast to the northwest. Two major subwatershed boundaries determine the flow of the city’s primary stream. One boundary runs across the city’s northern border. Another runs north-south in the center of the city, separating the residential area to the east from the industrial area to the west. The subwatersheds in each section of the city—residential, industrial, and proposed northern expansion—are fairly self-contained, but ultimately flow into the same primary stream that runs through the city.

Large buffer zones appear in the southeast and northwest corners of Kiryat Gat, where the primary stream enters and leaves the city. Smaller buffers in the center of the city provide opportunities for daylighting. To the north and southwest, narrow wooded buffers wind through agricultural land.

These maps of water flows and buffer zones reveal key sites for protection and rehabilitation of the stream. To the north of the city, stream buffers should be maintained during construction of a new neighborhood. In the southeast corner of the city, a large buffer surrounding secondary streams should be considered as the industrial section expands and a proposed cemetery takes shape. In the northwest corner, a large buffer around the primary stream offers an opportunity for rehabilitation. Likewise, smaller buffers around the primary, secondary, and channelized streams suggest points for daylighting and stream restoration that would enhance the experience of the city as well.

Kiryat Gat Watersheds and Stream FlowsMerran Swartwood / 11.304J / 02.25.12

Large buffer zones appear in the southeast and north-west corners of Kiryat Gat, where the primary stream enters and leaves the city. Smaller buffers in the center of the city provide opportunities for daylighting. To the north and southwest, narrow wooded buffers wind through agricultural land.

Water in Kiryat Gat flows from the southeast to the northwest. Two major sub-watershed boundaries de-termine the flow of the city’s primary stream. One runs across the city’s north-ern boundary, while anoth-er runs north-south in the center of the city, separat-ing the residential area to the east from the industrial area to the west.

Primary stream or channel

Secondary stream

Lake or reservoir

Wooded stream buffer

Non-agricultural, non-wooded stream buffer

Kiryat Gat city boundaryDirection of water flow

Major subwatershed boundary

Subwatershed boundary

This map shows streams from a 1976 regional hiking map and channels from a contemporary map of the city. Most of these streams only flow seasonally, and some have been buried or channelized to accommodate the growth of Kiryat Gat.

10

industrial sectortransect analysis

noahkoretz

discoveries through the process:• Through transect analysis, one can see that the industrial zone is not as disorganized as it initially

seems. Different sections have distinct industry types and scales.• Topography plays a significant role in the segmentation of the industrial sector.• While the transect looks cluttered in person and in aerial view, there is a significant amount of open

interstitial space within the industrial zone.• Intel is starting to encroach on the greenfields outside of the city.• Most of the roads in the industrial zone are minor.

interesting relationships you noted

• Heavy industry in the industrial zone acts as a geographic buffer between the larger, high tech businesses, which have corporate campuses, and the light industrial area, which is closer to the city and much more humanscale. With such a buffer, campuses can still exist on the periphery, while the light industrial area, with developable land with good sight lines and walkable streets, can be stitched into the city to promote better connectivity.

• The three distinct areas of the industrial zone are divided as much by topography as by the road systems. The two go hand in hand to create separation. The light industrial zone has meandering streets and is on an incline up from the creek and the train tracks. A large grassy berm separates this area from the heavy industrial area. A wide, tree lined thoroughfare in turn separates this area from the gigantic Intel/Micron campus, as well as a large retaining wall with a fence, creating an intense topography of separation.

observations to inform future planning directions

• While it appears sprawling, the high tech manufacturing area of the industrial zone has a massive concentration of buildings and workers, but most of the roads are internal to the campus. Amenities/services projects based on industrial clustering projects could start here.

• There is an underutilized zone on both sides of the train tracks. On the city side, this zone gives way quickly to a surprisingly mixed-use area, with government buildings, residences, small stores, and a school. High value TOD development is realistic, given the abundance of space and ability to tie in with existing development and infrastructure.

• TOD would be appropriate on both sides of the tracks. The topography creates excellent sight lines over the silo and into the city from the light industrial section. There is a lot of open space here. Buildings are small but lots are sizable.

12

Urban energyperformance

chris rhie

What is the relationship between urban form and energy consumption in Kiryat Gat? Looking beyond the performance of individual buildings, the particular arrangement of a neighborhood has a sizable impact on the way its inhabitants interact with the built environment. Building upon the Clean Energy Cities research project at MIT, a transect analysis was conducted of Kiryat Gat, in order to determine the relative efficiency of each neighborhood form.

The analysis revealed a city that has been developed in fits and starts. As the population grew, entire neighborhoods were built from the ground up. Each neighborhood took a different form, perhaps in response to whatever population pressures were most prevalent at the time they were built. This has resulted in a patchwork of building typologies and parcel arrangements. In addition to having a distinct physical profile, each neighborhood type has its own energy consumption profile as well.

Generally speaking, energy consumption as it relates to urban from can be broken down into three categories: embodied energy that is consumed during the construction process, operational energy that is consumed during the life of the buildings, and transport energy that is required in order to support the neighborhood activity. Additionally, the potential for renewable energy can be considered as a means of reducing the non-renewable resources that are required for operational and transport uses.

The transect analysis identified seven neighborhood typologies. Each may have internal variation, but they were grouped in such a way as to interpret their overall energy consumption profiles – and their potential for retrofit:

mixed superblock: These superblocks feature a diverse collection of buildings that span a wide range of bulk, height, orientation and use. Highly adaptable, they have many community spaces. Proximity to ame-nities and quiet internal streets make them effective as self-contained neighborhoods.

medium density enclave: This neighborhood is comprised of mid-rise apartment buildings that line the perimeter of each block. The interior spaces encourage social activity, and amenities are located within walking distance. Private automobiles are lightly used.

slab: Although these buildings have been slated for demolition, they represent a relatively efficient form. The stacked flats are simple to construct, and their east-west orientation is ideal for solar photovoltaics. The ground floor and interstitial spaces are used for automobile parking and community space.

low density estate: Consisting mostly of detached single-family houses, this is a relatively inefficient ur-ban form. The neighborhoods are car-oriented, lacking pedestrian amenities. Individual homes also require separate energy-consuming equipment, which has lower system efficiency.

tower in a park: This is the most energy-intensive form of development. High-rise construction requires vast amounts of energy for excavation and manufacturing of building materials. The height and spacing of the towers necessitate elevators and encourage a car-oriented lifestyle.

piecemeal commercial: This area of the city has been built with little congruence. Many building systems appear to be inefficient. The concentration of retail, in addition to expansive parking lots, encourage private automobile usage. This could be alleviated through transit and pedestrian improvements.

isolated industrial: Factories and warehouses have varying energy consumption profiles. However, there are efficiency opportunities if they can adapt an eco-industrial model, reducing waste and conserving resources. There are also large opportunities for co-generation and solar electricity.

13

open-LoopUrban Metabolism

stephen kennedy

discoveries through the process:In Kiryat Gat, little resource exchange exists between the two distinct components of the city (residential and industrial). Labor sources are pulled in to serve industry, while a latent labor pool exists in the city itself. Additionally, the city is drained of its own social products because of its inability to retain a young, productive workforce. Even research in efficient energy leaves the urban envelope without ever being ap-plied to benefit residents.

observations to inform future planning directions

Urban metabolism presents an interesting framework for future development of the city by focusing on the input and output of resources. As resource continue to wain in availability, closed-loop systems will be-come ever more relevant in considering the overall sustainability of a city. By first identifying the outward flows, opportunities to redirect the life-cycle of resources become apparent.

Considering how outputs from one sector of the city convert to inputs to another will further opportunities to create a symbiotic relationship between the residential core and the industrial zone. How these resource flows are manifest physically becomes the design consideration. One opportunity in redefining the key junction near the train station is to represent the area as the energy stock of the city, referencing the silo as a key to retaining resources for Kiryat Gat.

ACTIVELY IMPORTED ENERGY RESOURCES

PASSIVELY IMPORTED NATURAL RESOURCES

ACTIVELY IMPORTED

SOCIAL RESOURCES

ACTIVELY IMPORTED

MATERIAL RESOURCES

KIRYAT GATURBAN METABOLISMRESOURCE & ENERGYINPUTS / OUTPUTS

ACTIVELY EXPORTED MATERIAL PRODUCTS

ACTIVELY EXPORTED SOCIALPRODUCTS

PASSIVELYEXPORTED MUNICIPALWASTE

GRAYWATERRECYCLING

RECYCLING

EMISSIONS TRANSPIRATION

ACTIVE LABOR POOL

STATIC LABOR POOL

PRODUCTS & GOODS

STOCK

INDUSTRIALWASTE

INDUSTRIALWASTE WATER

E-RESEARCH

COMMUTERS

BRAINDRAIN

SOLIDWASTE

EMISSIONS

STORMWATERRUNOFF

ELEC

TRIC

IY

SOLA

R EN

ERGY 02

PETR

OLEU

M &

NAT

URAL

GAS

FOOD

WAT

ER

RAW

MAT

ERIA

LS

LABO

R (C

OMM

UTER

S)

NAT

ION

ALFU

NDI

NG

NAT

URAL

GAS

15

realms of Kiryat gat:potential Connections across Memory, ecologies, infrastructure, & Voids

jonathancrisman

discoveries through the process:The map identifies key urban features from different realms or classifications that might be perceived of as barriers. The “memory” realm contained municipality defined archeological zones which could be a barrier due to restrictions on development. The “ecologies” realm contained rivers and streams, along with major topological shifts, which both can act as a barrier to continuity. The “infrastructure” realm contained the municipal boundary, wide roads, and major buildings, which can all act as physical barriers. Finally, the “voids” realm contained large open spaces that can act as a barrier between areas through the creation of a buffer zone.

patterns

When distilled, patterns emerge on relationships complimentary barriers that might actually provide a site of a connective intervention. For example, an archeological site and a void space might provide land that would be ideal for park space, or the confluence of a stream and a road would be ideal for the development of a new multi- use road typology.

relationships

As it turns out, a key cluster of sites of possibility occurs around the center of the industrial area. There is also noticeable urban patterning based on topological features in what has otherwise been understood as a largely flat urban space.

directions

In the end, each potential connection is an apt site for opportunistic intervention in terms of how our studio moves forward. While this is only one analysis of the urban patterning, this mapping provides a both a set of sites that could be useful in some minor interventions through simple tactics, as well as identifies areas that might be structurally ideal for major intervention.

17

Housing typology Mapping: ideas revealed

alexis wheeler

discoveries through the process:The study of the typologies was a process of confirmation and contradiction. The single family, detached housing model was exactly as it would have seemed: sparsely developed land with few occupants. The towers were a similar story: a large number of flats densely containing several households with open space surrounding them. The striated pattern matched that of the urban fabric where the developments were incremental implemented through a “whole cloth” approach, which creates neighborhood zones of uniform typology. What became more revealing were the adjacencies of these types. The single family homes are built directly next to the towers which are then next to rowhouses, etc. In the western world, you would be more likely to see transitional zones of typology with heights and density building inward toward the city center. Such an approach was not evident in the Kiryat Gat pattern, rather zones that are defined by their street edge conditions.

The rowhouses were the most blended of all typologies, reflecting an evolving and incremental treatment where people build on and expand over time, resulting in a variety of roof lines, materials, and footprints. Besides this internal variety, there were few communities of “mixed” typologies, with the exception being the central neighborhood around the “12” shops. This mixed typology seems to also reflect the mixed community living within – the diversity reflects a variety of races and ages. This could begin to inform the future community development model of the city.

HOUSEHOLD DENSITIES

HOUSING TYPOLOGIES

HOUSING TRANSECT

DENOTES HOUSEHOLD/UNIT

4-STORY FLATS // 14 UNITS

4-STORY FLATS // 24 UNITS

4-STORY FLATS // 24 UNITSALEXIS M WHEELER // 11.304J

4-STORY FLATS // 28 UNITS

ROWHOUSE // 4 UNITS

DUPLEX // 2 UNITS

12-STORY FLATS // 60 UNITS

SINGLE-FAMILY // 1 UNIT

4-STORY FLATS // 36 UNITS

SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHEDTWO-FAMILY ATTACHED (DUPLEX)ROWHOUSEMULTIFAMILY FLATS (4-15 UNIT STRUCTURE)MULTIFAMILY FLATS (16-60 UNIT STRUCTURE)

RESIDENTIAL SAMPLINGALL KIRYAT GAT BUILDINGS

HOUSING TYPOLOGIES // KIRYAT GAT0 50 100 200 1000M N

19

income & employment distribution

michaelkaplan

income distribution map observations

• The highest income areas are single family homes in the “new” western area.• There is a “hollowing out” of the city center, with the poor, vacant areas in the middle and the higher

income areas on the outskirts.• The poorest area is sandwiched between the richest areas in the northwest corner of the city. This area

has the lowest percentage of people who work in the city, many older people, but those that are in the work force employed, there is low unemployment rate.

• There is little correlation between income and whether one works in Kiryat Gat or not.• Highest usage of the train for commuting is from the wealthiest area, though usage of the train in

general is really low so it may be statistically insignificant.

employment distribution map observations

• Many who live around the core work in Kiryat Gat. 24% of people who live near the core work in sales and retail and the highest percentage of workers in restaurants and services live in this area, so there is a correlation between working in the city and living by the central areas.

• Interesting though, 32% of people who live near the core travel to work by transportation arranged by their employer, which is the highest of all areas in the city. Part of this area we walked around and met a few people from Intel who took the shuttle to work, so this may be an area where people work and take a shuttle to the industrial park.

• Many who live in the northwest corner of the city work in city, both rich and poor. Many of the teachers in the city (65% of all teachers) live in this poor area and walk to work, (38% of this area walks to work) the highest of all areas. This is also skewed by the orthodox area where many people walk. The orthodox area is also the youngest area, probably because of the amount of kids they have.

• This area also has the lowest car usage, correlating car ownership to income. The highest car usage to get to work is in the wealthier areas, but as you can see, many of these people work in Kiryat Gat. It is not clear if they are working in the industrial park or in other sectors of the city.

• In the rest of the city, there is a correlation between car usage and working outside the city.• It is not clear why those who live in the middle area of the city, which is lower income, work outside

the city. We may want to explore this further.

a few planning suggestions

2nd commercial area in northwest area, developing core area does help keep people working in the city and not outside so want to strengthen this area

Add some programmatic elements in this middle area to encourage infill development. One idea could be build the new city hall around here, the mall area is already a strength because of the commerce so it might be interesting to create a new civic area in the geographic center of the neighborhoods, there is plenty of available land.

20

patterns of public open and Undeveloped Land in Central Kiryat gat

jaredpress

This exercise illustrated the shape, size and overall proportions of the various types of public open and undeveloped space, which included vacant land, parks, parking lots, and intra-block corridors.

Patches of vacant lots are concentrated in the older neighborhoods of the city. There also appears to be a correlation between the newer, higher income neighborhoods in the western section of the city and a lower concentration of vacant land. Similarly, these neighborhoods have a more even and coherent distribution of parks and parking lots relative to the rest of the city. The relation to parking lots comes as little surprise as these neighborhoods are largely single family residences.

There is an opportunity for stream restoration, as a swath of vacant space mimics the winding stream in the northeastern neighborhoods.

When viewed next to the mobility map, there is a possible correlation between with intra-block corridors and increased levels of walking amongst residents. The analysis of open and undeveloped spaces reveal opportunities to build upon some of the existing intra-block corridors with linkages via vacant lots and parks to create a network of cross-neighborhood pathways.

While visiting the city, one of the key takeaways was the large degree of vacant lots. This mapping project revealed that 22% of the central city is vacant. While there is plenty of vacant land within Central Kiryat Gat that could be targeted for infill development, the city will need to account for the diverse range of shapes and sizes of lots should it decide to pursue such a strategy. Disregarding the northern parcel (which is currently planned for future development), the range includes fully empty blocks on one end of the spectrum, contrasted with small single family housing lots on the other end.

Kiryat Gat has the opportunity to redefine its exterior buffer zones, as nearly the entire city is ringed with park land or vacant lots. The extension of the narrow park with a bike path in the southwestern corner of the city seems like a predictable and logical next step. Yet any potential design should be considered carefully, particularly along Route 35 to the northeast, as this section borders the future expansion section of Kiryat Gat. Given this location, Kiryat Gat should consider whether it wants a buffer, edge, or gateway between the central city and the expansion.

22

Life-stageamenity Mapping

rebeccadisbrow

Life stage amenity mapping is a great way to think systematically through the users of a city and the amenities they both desire and require. Mapping amenities in Kiryat Gat illustrated several patterns that reflected our observations and information from working on the ground in the city.

To begin with, based on the number and distribution of parks, playing fields, and schools – Kiryat Gat is a nice place to have kids. If children want to walk to school, there is a school in walking distance of just about every residence in the city. There is an abundance of playing fields, linear parks, and city parks for a population of just 50,000. However, the fact that students can pick any school in the city means they probably rely heavily on automobiles or would require reliable bus transit.

Young adults are a category that Kiryat Gat has struggled to attract or retain. The city attributes it mainly to a lack of private housing options. This may be the case, but I think it also is probably a result of the city just being boring. There aren’t restaurants, aren’t many cultural offerings, and are no bars or nightlife. There are even few (possibly only one?) cafes. I tend to also thing younger people are more comfortable relying on public transit and a stronger bus system and access to Tel Aviv / Be’er Sheva would probably be an amenity attractive to young people.

Lastly, the city is actually quite suited to seniors. It is a small and compact city and this works to its benefit. There is a good enough supply of parks, health care clinics (it seems), synagogues, necessity shopping options, and community centers. There could probably be more local shopping options and a strong bus system would benefit seniors who no longer want to drive their own vehicle, to maintain access to the whole city.

in summation, the biggest needs include:• Restaurants, cultural institutions, entertainment options• Transit access people can and will eventually rely on. Especially true for children and seniors• Health clinic access in the northern part of the city (speculative, but seems to be true)• Community centers spread more evenly through the city, if the youth clubs are truly geared towards

youth.

In conclusion, however, Kiryat Gat is decently well-served. It is a walkable city with a relatively small population. With decent bus access, only small amounts of most amenities are necessary to service the whole city.

23

a City of Walking-Compatible form

naomistein

Mapping 5-minute walking radii around schools in Kiryat Gat reveals a neighborhood structure that appears to conform to the neighborhood unit model in which neighborhood size is determined by easy walking distances to schools. In this model, neighborhood commerce would be distributed at the intersections of major roads between neighborhoods, thus making the neighborhood a self-sufficient unit.However, looking at the location of the major commercial centers in Kiryat Gat, it is clear that the neighborhood areas (bounded by major roads) are not self-sufficient. Additionally, while the schools are in theory distributed according to walking access, Kiryat Gat has an open enrollment policy, meaning that the social reality is not necessarily reflected in the form of the city.

The emphasis, therefore, should be less on walkable neighborhood units and more on the walkability of the entire city, including connections between neighborhoods. The compactness of the core of the city makes this possible. The industrial area is at a greater distance—more than a 10-minute walk from the city center. This implies that even if a physical connection were created across the train tracks, the distance would still imply the need for transit/bicycle access from the industrial zone to the core and the integration of restaurants and other services in the industrial zone.

The connectivity analysis demonstrates a more reliable method of assessing accessibility that depends on network structure and not just on straight-line distance, thus demonstrating the significant differences in street topology between the residential, core, “elbow”, and industrial areas. In future detailed site-analysis this or other more developed network techniques could be used to identify opportunities for connectivity improvements.

Finally, the bicycle-distance study reveals the degree of unrealized regional connectivity potential between surrounding moshavim and kibbutzim and the city.The

Walking City

(l1/d1) = 1.25the ratio of actual path length to a theoretical direct path (l2/d2) = 1.08 (l3/d3) = 2.01 (l4/d4) = 1.94

but no outlet

l2

d2 d3

l3

d4d1

l1

the connectivity effect

Naomi SteinKiryat Gat | 23 Feb 2012

a city characterized by walking distances

IntelComplex

HighSchool

HighSchool

HighSchool

Market(planned)

Mall

ShoppingCenter

SCALE 1:10,000

10 minute0.8 km

5 minute0.4 km

5 minute walk from a schoolNO ACCESS TO COMMERCE

School

5 minute walk from commerce

Commercial building

the neighborhood

unit

Blocks that fit withina 10 minute walk

Blocks that fit withina 5 minute walk radius

1 km

a regional biking

city

10 m

in

1.6

km

15 min | 2.4 km

l4