The connection between urban renewal and the Iron Sword War
Nov 23, 2023
Questions and Answers with Dr. Benny Barush
By: Itzik Simon
The war has once again highlighted the stark gaps in Israel between the home front and the battlefield. In the short article below, we will try to outline the important connection between urban renewal, reinforced security rooms (Mamadim), and national security. For this purpose, we enlisted Dr. Benny Barush—a protection expert and lecturer in structural engineering at the Civil Engineering Department at Ariel University.
Dr. Barush, what exactly is the connection between urban renewal and protection?
Urban renewal provides a response to national protection in two main ways. First, by constructing buildings with Mamadim that replace old structures, which naturally results in fewer residents relying on public shelters located far from them, on rooms chosen as ‘the safest possible,’ or on stairwells. The second is the inherent resilience of the building due to its strength and size. The more robust the structure (a massive building that can withstand physical mechanical stresses, pressure, and harsh environmental conditions), the better it is reinforced against earthquakes, and the larger it is, the smaller the impact of direct combat strikes on it.
Will a building that has undergone urban renewal absorb reduced damage from a direct hit by a rocket or missile?
The answer is unequivocally yes. Both with regard to reinforcement and expansion according to TAMA 38/1 and when the building is demolished and rebuilt as in TAMA 38/2 or complete evacuation and construction.
Buildings that have undergone urban renewal are more stable because they are reinforced for earthquakes and are heavily reinforced with concrete shafts such as tower blocks, staircases, elevators, infrastructure shafts, and more. Especially buildings that have been demolished and rebuilt. These buildings are usually not only built according to the latest standards for durability and strength, but they are also usually larger and the damage to them is correspondingly less. Urban renewal reduces the chance of complete, partial, and even local collapse. To this must be added the building blocks that physically and directly protect the residents and their guests.
How can urban renewal help narrow the gap?
Five days after the outbreak of the war, the Israel Builders Contractors Association announced that approximately 62% of the apartments in Israel do not have fire extinguishers [1] .
" The shortage of building contractors in Israel has been greatly reduced in the last 30 years, but it is still too great. Urban renewal at all levels and in all forms, from the single building to complexes and neighborhoods, can help. Especially if the renewal plans receive the right incentives, and today we are once again reminded of the main reason for this - saving lives. Earthquake protection and reinforcement can change the data of the Contractors Association from end to end."
Five days after the outbreak of the war, the Israel Builders Association reported that approximately 62% of apartments in Israel lacked reinforced protected rooms (MAMADs).[1]
“The shortage of protected rooms in Israel has decreased considerably over the past 30 years, but it remains far too great. Urban renewal in all its forms, from individual buildings to entire complexes and neighbourhoods, can help, particularly if these projects receive the right incentives.
Today, we are once again reminded of the main reason for doing so: saving lives. Adding protective spaces and reinforcing buildings against earthquakes could fundamentally transform the figures reported by the Israel Builders Association.”
"Certainly. In most cases, the girders in a building are built on top of each other, creating a kind of powerful concrete 'spire'. The girder towers also strengthen the structure on an engineering level. They are a kind of closed and strong stiffening tubes. The concrete spires go down to the foundations in the ground. They are very resistant to horizontal forces, reduce the overall horizontal movement of the structure and significantly improve its stability."
Do the battalion commanders also reinforce the structure?
“Certainly. In most cases, the protected rooms in a building are constructed directly above one another, forming a robust concrete ‘tower.’ These towers also strengthen the building structurally, acting as strong, enclosed stiffening cores that extend down to the foundations. They are highly resistant to lateral forces, reduce the building’s overall lateral movement and significantly improve its stability.”
How do you promote urban renewal in the periphery?
"There is hardly a person in Israel today who does not understand that concepts like center and periphery are irrelevant in times of war. The missile threats geographically cover the entire country, and even Eilat is on the Houthi target list. Earthquakes have also recently occurred in our region and should serve as a thunderous reminder of the disaster that lies ahead."
I hope that, alongside the heavy cost of the war, awareness of these two threats will increase. Both on the private level – so that citizens will clearly prefer strong buildings with modern protection solutions, and on the national level by investing more money to encourage urban renewal in the real estate-economic periphery where private-entrepreneurial motivation is still small. Just as the state rightly acted to remove barriers to additional protection, it is equally urgent to release barriers to strengthening buildings and urban renewal.
Creativity is needed here. I would suggest, for example, examining in depth solutions that have not yet been implemented. For example, transferring building rights from the center to the periphery, even though this is a different planning space. For example, determining that contracting companies that receive significant building rights in the economic center will also be obligated to strengthen buildings and housing units in the periphery according to a predetermined key. Similarly, it is possible to oblige contractors and developers who carry out urban renewal in the center to deposit certain amounts in a national fund for strengthening the periphery. Building rights are, at the end of the day, economic profit. Perhaps the time has come for planning institutions not to limit them to the planning space in which they were granted.
"Additional tools that the state can use are regulation and taxation, which, when used wisely and intelligently, may accelerate the renewal processes in the periphery and reduce construction costs in preferred areas."
Almost everyone in Israel now understands that distinctions between the centre and the periphery lose their relevance during wartime. Missile threats extend across the entire country, and even Eilat appears on the Houthis’ target list. Recent earthquakes in our region should also serve as a stark reminder of the disaster looming before us.
I hope that, alongside the heavy toll of the war, awareness of these two threats will grow. At the individual level, citizens should clearly favour structurally sound buildings with modern protective facilities. At the national level, greater funding should encourage urban renewal in areas where property values and economic conditions still provide little incentive for private developers. Just as the state rightly acted to remove barriers to adding protective spaces, it must act with equal urgency to remove barriers to structural reinforcement and urban renewal.
Creativity is needed. I would suggest, for example, thoroughly examining solutions that have not yet been implemented, such as transferring development rights from the centre to peripheral areas, despite their being separate planning jurisdictions. Construction companies granted substantial development rights in economically strong central areas could be required to reinforce buildings and homes in peripheral areas according to a predetermined formula.
Contractors and developers undertaking urban renewal in central areas could also be required to contribute specified amounts to a national fund for reinforcing buildings in the periphery. Ultimately, development rights represent financial value. Perhaps the time has come for planning authorities to stop confining that value to the planning jurisdiction in which the rights were granted.
Other tools available to the state include regulation and taxation. Used wisely, these could accelerate urban renewal in peripheral areas and reduce construction costs in priority areas.
"The main and central obstacle that I have been warning about for years is awareness . In days of war, when millions of Israelis discover once again that the lack of basic necessities endangers them and their families, the level of awareness skyrockets. Unfortunately, experience shows that it fades very quickly when the guns stop roaring."
This is where the state needs to step in. Along with financial encouragement and regular activity of urban renewal with a budget, regulations, and legislation, the state is tasked with leading advertising campaigns to increase awareness.
The state knows its job and has launched quite a few successful and impressive campaigns in the past, such as 'Israel is drying up' or encouraging vaccinations for the coronavirus. Earthquakes and rocket fire are tangible threats. The State of Israel must instruct its citizens on how to prepare for them, how to act in an emergency, and what the impact of the structure is on these disasters, for better or for worse.
The second obstacle is the long and difficult road to permits and approvals. While there have been quite a few positive changes in recent years, the great burden still falls on the shoulders of the licensing authorities and municipal engineering departments. The state and local government need to improve these departments with improvements, increase staffing, and pay them accordingly. We are serious about this."
What, in your opinion, are the two main barriers to urban renewal in Israel?
In conclusion, how would you like to see Israel's cities in the coming decade?
When analyzing the data and trends regarding urban renewal in Israel, and in light of the enormous gaps between what is desired and what is currently available, it is clear to me that it will not be possible to achieve comprehensive urban renewal in just a few years. On the other hand, if the state is able to listen to the professionals and take effective steps to remove the barriers, I have no doubt that we will be able to see significant improvement. If I remain a little optimistic, in about ten years from now we will see not only a surge in projects for vacating and building in the center, but also a high presence of projects throughout the country."
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