(haipo) – Following a discussion held last night (Monday, 7/4/25) in the Haifa Municipality's Planning and Building Subcommittee, the recommendations of the city engineer team for the construction and development plan for the urban waterfront project were unanimously approved – the flagship project that is leading a far-reaching move in restoring the connection between the city of Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea, while transforming the Western Port docks into a vibrant, open and publicly accessible urban district.
The urban waterfront is one of the most important and ambitious plans in the vision for developing the lower city. It is an area of approximately 320 dunams, in the heart of Haifa's western port area, which was previously operated as a commercial port and is now expected to become a center of culture, entertainment, commerce and tourism on a national and international scale.
The plan includes promenades, open spaces, commercial areas, restaurants, public and cultural institutions, hotel buildings, offices and even a passenger terminal. However, the mix of uses does not include residential, with the exception of one lot (which is not part of the current plan).
The project is being promoted within the framework of TAMA 13/3A, which was approved in 2017 and is intended to return Haifa's urban coastal strip to the public. This is a national master plan intended to enable the opening of the Western Port, while creating a new urban district that connects the city to the sea - as has been done in successful port cities around the world.
The plan allows for planning flexibility in certain areas, subject to approvals from the district committee, and therefore approval of the building plan by the local committee is a condition for granting building permits.
The city engineer recommends – the committee approved
The Haifa City Engineer formulated a comprehensive opinion, which includes a series of planning recommendations, intended to specify the construction, safety, traffic, parking solutions, infrastructure integration, coordination with the Israel Land Authority, and the creation of graduated development phases, which will allow for a combination of the port activity that is still taking place and the opening of the area to the public.
The engineer's recommendations include, among other things:
- Adding gallery space up to 25% in accordance with the provisions of the TAMA.
- Parking solutions in RAMI areas in coordination with the authority or payment of a parking fee.
- Preservation of historic buildings and safety adjustments along the promenade.
- Clear development phases that will be defined within the framework of building permits.
- Diverse public and cultural uses including cultural institutions, a maritime police station, tourist attractions, and more.
- The local committee approved all recommendations, and now the required changes will be submitted for approval to the district committee - in accordance with the provisions of the TAMA.
An engine for economic and social growth
In the urban vision, the seafront will not only return the sea to Haifa residents - but will become a vibrant, living and innovative hub that will attract tourists, create jobs, strengthen the local economy and significantly contribute to the quality of life in the entire Haifa metropolis.
Give me back the dog beach….humans are more important
Must also live there
Too slow!
Like in the banana complex, they threw something into the air.
And then they disappeared!!
sad
Years of chatter about this project. There are discussions, and there are recommendations. And again discussions, and again recommendations, and Garnish. Nada. Nothing moves.
Without tunneling the railroad tracks and removing this deadly buffer that they now want to expand to 4 tracks, it will not be possible to advance anything there and everything will once again remain in the drawers.
Only a full tunneling of the train from Carmel Beach to Check Post will allow this plan to be advanced.
Alek to give back to the public. No, that's the whitest lie! It's giving this strip to some tycoon to build a hotel and then they'll close half and the other half to restaurants. The public won't have anything to do there except waste money. And worst of all. If you're in a low socioeconomic situation, you don't even have access! I wonder how much money the entire Haifa junta pocketed!
And what about the train tracks?
Without removing the heavy rail, they won't be able to advance anything there.