"We will turn the city into a pearl of the north" • Kiryat Yam presents the vision of the beach for the next 20 years

An urban renewal plan will define Kiryat Yam as a major tourist destination

In recent years, the municipality of Kiryat Yam has been working on a professional and responsible plan for the development of the city, which will redefine Kiryat Yam as a central focus of beach tourism in the Haifa metropolis.

The initiative of the program is made possible thanks to ongoing collaborations with various government ministries, such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Interior, Transportation, Tourism, Environmental Protection and more. The municipality of Kiryat Yam sees the utmost importance in preserving and deepening these collaborations as a tool for the strategic advancement of the city and its residents.

The plan was drawn up with the full participation of the public, and while taking into account all public and private needs, presents gradual stages for the development of the coastal strip in a way that will leverage the quality of life of the residents, both existing and new, will respond to community needs, and at the same time will create land with tremendous potential for entrepreneurs.

Yuval Baranov, the city engineer, and graduates of the Ministry of Interior's local government cadet program are responsible for the new plan, initiated by the municipality of Kiryat Yam headed by David Ibn Tzur.

The development will happen from within

Kiryat Yam has about 46 thousand residents, of which 22.5% are adults, and 36% are new immigrants, most of them from the Soviet Union. The city is a small and compact city, so most of the services for residents are accessible and located at short distances from each other.

"The new plan is based on the assumption that Kiryat Yam is a walled city and closed from all directions, so there is no surrounding land that it can develop into. This means that the renewal and development must happen from within, and the municipal departments are all aimed at such development, which will focus on old neighborhoods, instead of establishing a new detached and segregated neighborhood. says Daniel Peleg, head of the Urban Renewal Directorate.

From the plan: "A concept of stages will make it possible to develop the coastal strip gradually and to define actions and initiatives for the immediate term, the medium term and the long term." The ladder principle encourages small investments that can be implemented in an immediate time frame and a 10-year time period, however they generate economic returns within this time period. In the long term, the tiered method will allow Kiryat Yam to gradually develop as a leading beach tourism center. Simultaneously with the renewal of the coastal strip, a change in land values ​​is expected in the vicinity, and the plan will thereby help to drive initiatives for the renewal of residences in the city."

Water sports, skate park, adventure sports, camping and more

Some of the projects that are going to be carried out and begin to change the face of the city in the near term: the establishment of a new school for education and water sports, which will be built on the beach, will provide an educational framework for young students who are fond of sailing, and will be the center of Hawaii in the northern part of the boardwalk; An experience park for the whole family, which will be integrated into the area of ​​the boardwalk, will be open to everyone free of charge and play facilities will be operated in it for a fee; A skate park, an adventure sports complex for youth, the idea of ​​which to build was suggested by boys on the social network, and the municipality recognized the essential need and planned it in full cooperation with those boys; A camping complex and a "glamping" complex (luxurious camping) for surfers and tourists; A new conservatory in front of the beach with a hall that can accommodate about 250 spectators.

The public space and the beach

What characterizes all of these is the emphasis the municipality places on developing the public space and opening the beach to residents and tourists. In addition, urban renewal projects have already started to be initiated throughout the city, and these are also done by regulating a detailed urban policy. "After the tenants are accompanied by a lawyer and have representation, only then do they go out to receive offers from contracting companies and entrepreneurs. From the moment it is there, certainty is created and everyone enters an orderly process that moves towards realization.'

With the residents, for the residents

"What's beautiful is that the planning is done with residents, for residents, and with deep thinking about the public services we want and need to provide so that the resident has a quality of life from the moment he arrives to live in the city. We see the beach as a significant base that can provide these services to the entire city, and we understand that everything stems from the need, the fabric of the city is very old and old and requires renovation and renewal.'

As a result of the development, a significant addition of population will come to the city, and for this the municipality is preparing a master plan for transportation that includes the construction of a subway route along the beach, the addition of about five bus lines, the series of cycling routes throughout the city, and more.

Mayor of Kiryat Yam, David Ibn Tzur:

We see our beach as a natural resource and part of the urban DNA, and the extensive development plans will give expression to this. The idea in the strategic plan is to enable gradual development that will create an increase in land values ​​after each and every project, so that new ventures will be more and more worthwhile and attractive and will attract entrepreneurs and investors. We have several partners in this move, including the government ministries - the finance, the interior, transportation, culture and sports, environmental protection, etc. Also, partners in the move such as the Israel Land Authority and the Urban Renewal Authority believe in and support the renewal of Kiryat Yam's coastal strip. Connecting the coastal strip , from north and south, into one high-quality, continuous and attractive boardwalk, is a necessary step that will make Kiryat Yam the pearl of the north and the coastal city not only of Haifa and Kiryat, but on a national level.

Orit Aviran, Director of the Community Relations Department at Kiryat Yam Municipality: The sea is an integral part of the identity of Kiryat Yam and its residents, and one of our challenges, alongside the extensive development plans, is to encourage and strengthen the coastal culture. We connect to the sea every one of the activities we do in the city on a horizontal level, whether it's bringing in local artists to paint graffiti or whether it's using the sea as a central stage for community activities.'

Those interested in getting an impression of the tremendous potential of the beach strip can already enjoy activities organized by the municipality in Einstein Park during the summer: twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays - youth complexes on the beach; On Wednesdays - dancing from half past six until night, first hour for parents and children; On Fridays at seven in the morning - yoga on the beach.