The Central District Planning and Building Committee has approved a long-term general outline plan for Petah Tikva, which proposes adding 63,500 housing units, and which will nearly double the city's population to 460,000. Petah Tikva currently has a population of 266,000.
Northeast of Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva was founded in 1878 as the first Jewish agricultural village in the country. In 1937, Petah Tikva was granted municipal status and over the past 20 years it has experienced a huge building boom. In the explanation of the plan, the committee described Petah Tikva as the main city in the eastern metropolitan region of Tel Aviv, serving other communities in the area.
The plan includes new construction on 26,200 dunams (6,550 acres) of the city's 36,000 dunams (9,000 acres). The oldest neighborhoods like Amishav, Hadar Ganim, Beilinson, Kiryat David Eliezer and Kiryat Alon will retain their character with a predominance of houses and gardens. Much of the construction will be in Sirkin, a large new neighborhood on the huge army base set to be vacated. The Yoseftal neighborhood is scheduled to be demolished and completely rebuilt. There will be a new road from Sirkin exiting towards Jerusalem.
The plan also includes strengthening business activities in the city by encouraging urban renewal in industrial and office zones by increasing building rights. The plan proposes adding 3,800,000 square meters of office and commercial space to the existing 11,300,000 square meters.
The plan seeks to improve the city's transport infrastructure by upgrading existing roads, with the light rail link to the city from Tel Aviv set to be opened next year and Metro stations also planned. Petah Tikva already has two railway stations at Kiryat Arie and Segula and more bus and cycle lanes are planned.
The outline plan has been drawn up by Farhi Zafrir Architects.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 22, 2021.
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