2022 Cat A - Re-Defining the Good Life
The Haifa port, located in the northern coastal strip of Israel, is nestled between the city and the shoreline, disconnecting the coast from the downtown area. Soon, a part of Haifa port will be evacuated, presenting an opportunity to reconnect the existing neighborhoods with their shoreline and create a vibrant urban waterfront.
The good life, as we have come to know it through the media, relays on private consumption, which not only does not provide actual happiness but is one of the main causes for the climate crisis. To allow for a change in private consumer habits there needs to be a change in our urban environments.
This project suggests a new urban space designed for a small carbon footprint lifestyle, utilizing different planning models, such as the Israeli kibbutz and the Parisian 15-minute city. The goal of the design is promoting good health and well-being. The daily routine of the community is planned to encourage connection to nature and a sustainable lifestyle. Creating a public park, car-free zones, shared living spaces, implementation of green and blue infrastructure, and reusing existing materials and buildings are few of the strategies used. Nature-connectedness, togetherness, personal growth, sustainable programs, and physical activities are another design layer. These design and planning layers combined with municipal policies, green building codes and governmental incentives for sustainability will aspire to create a new environment that will transform the Haifa port into a model for sustainability and urban good life.
