Open Search form

Gerard Heumann

Apply for a Blog

Jun 1, 2018, 11:13 AM

Blue Marina blues

Ashdod exemplifies everything that is problematic in architecture and urban design in Israel today. A compendium of many unintegrated large and extremely costly projects that have been built in recent years, the city is completely fragmented, cut off even...

Apr 12, 2018, 1:33 AM

Kahlon’s housing ‘solutions’ will be devastating

Future generations will pay a heavy social and environmental price for a mad -- and inept -- rush to build

Mar 9, 2018, 10:06 AM

No simple matter: Planning and building at the large scale

Israel's fast expanding economy and developing technology have made it possible to build in large-scale operations. Urban land being a scarce commodity especially in the center of the country, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem municipalities have recently proposed gargantuan projects...

Dec 26, 2017, 3:15 PM

The perils of residential towers

Illustrative: A construction site in Or Akiva (YouTube screenshot)

Consider Ir Yamim, a high-rise complex on the Mediterranean that essentially ignores the precious sea views

Aug 3, 2016, 8:05 PM

Renovations that aren’t just a question of money

Tama (meaning National Master Plan) 38 originated with the goal of reinforcing the foundations of older existing apartment buildings in Israel in order that they be able to withstand earthquakes. Its third amendment, which permits the construction of an additional...

Mar 3, 2016, 3:47 PM

Residential towers and the public realm

As our society has become more and more privatized, the all-important public and social component in our lives is gradually vanishing. The residential tower phenomenon in Israel over the last twenty-five years offers one of the the clearest signs...

Jul 15, 2015, 4:40 PM

Social justice into urban form

It is not the first time that our government has tried to tackle the housing crisis. Four years ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to his plans for a fast-track housing effort as a "Supertanker", as if the matter was...

Jun 24, 2015, 12:32 AM

The deadly conformity of Israeli housing

Architects must start designing residential towers that are about community and environment, not just money

Load more

About Me

Gerard Heumann is an architect and town planner in Jerusalem.