Shahaf Strickmann

Glory of the Forest

Many cities in Israel have been developed in ways that often damage natural processes and ignore landscape systems, such as ecological networks, water systems, and biodiversity. In recent years, cities have been facing the effects of climate change. They suffer from unusually warm weather in summer and urban floods in winter. At this pace, we may wonder whether people can live in Israeli cities in the future. In my project, I deal with this challenge and give climate-resilient solutions to urban developments.    

I focus on the development of the city Hod HaSharon, located in the centre of Israel. My main research question is: how can Hod HaSharon become a climate-resilient city? Hod HaSharon has many open spaces under the pressure of developers who want to build large numbers of buildings on these grounds. My goal is to balance the various urban layers while concomitantly creating a sustainable, healthy and attractive city for people and animals.     

My project proposes an integral strategy for urban structures that deals with the challenges of the urban landscapes in the city and offers a climate-resilient living environment. The concept is to restore the vanished forest of Hod HaSharon and to use it as a vital element of the city’s structure. In my urban forest design, I integrate different sustainable water management solutions. The forest not only contributes to hydrological and ecological solutions, but it also has social and economic benefits. The idea is to accommodate nature in the city and reconnect people to their landscape. In this project, I present an ideal example of a climate adaptive design approach in the Israeli urban environment.   

Graduation date: 22 December 2022
Graduation committee: Jana Crepon (mentor), Roel Wolters, Lodewijk van Nieuwenhuizen. 
Additional members for the exam: Thijs de Zeeuw, Cees van der Veeken