Strengthening buildings and urban renewal: the special challenge in the geographic, social and earthquake-prone periphery
Feb 6, 2023
By: Itzick Simon
The periphery is one of the greatest challenges in preparing for earthquakes. In this article, we will characterize relevant risks, address actions taken, and discuss recommendations recently formulated by an inter-ministerial steering committee.
Towards the end of the text, we will try to outline some additional suggestions with the help of an expert, Dr. Benny Brosh, Director of the Building Division at the Standards Institute and Lecturer in Structural Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering at Ariel University.
The tangible risk of an earthquake in the periphery
Before we dive in, let's define the framework of the discussion. Most of the information in seismological and historical research we have about earthquakes in the Land of Israel, especially strong earthquakes, concerns the section that stretches from the Lebanon Valley to the southern Dead Sea and the Gulf of Eilat [1] . The history of the region is replete with powerful earthquake events that caused extensive damage to property and life, even west of them inland ( read more here ).
One of the main reasons is the active Syrian-African fault, along which the rate of strong earthquakes (6 or higher on the Richter scale) is estimated at 1 every 80 years [2] [3] . Since the last powerful earthquake to hit the region occurred in the summer of 1927 (when the epicenter was in the northern Dead Sea region), there is a significant chance of another strong earthquake in the foreseeable future [4] .
[1] https://www.mapi.gov.il/Earthquake/Pages/riskAvi.aspx
[2] Earthquake Risks in the State of Israel - Dr. Avi Shapira | Israel Mapping Center (www.gov.il)
[3] https://fs.knesset.gov.il/globaldocs/MMM/40f06d8d-f1f7-e411-80c8-00155d01107c/2_40f06d8d-f1f7-e411-80c8-00155d01107c_11_7602.pdf
By: Itzick Simon
The periphery is one of the greatest challenges in preparing for earthquakes. In this article, we will characterize relevant risks, address actions taken, and discuss recommendations recently formulated by an inter-ministerial steering committee.
Towards the end of the text, we will try to outline some additional suggestions with the help of an expert, Dr. Benny Brosh, Director of the Building Division at the Standards Institute and Lecturer in Structural Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering at Ariel University.
The tangible risk of an earthquake in the periphery
Before we dive in, let's define the framework of the discussion. Most of the information in seismological and historical research we have about earthquakes in the Land of Israel, especially strong earthquakes, concerns the section that stretches from the Lebanon Valley to the southern Dead Sea and the Gulf of Eilat [1] . The history of the region is replete with powerful earthquake events that caused extensive damage to property and life, even west of them inland ( read more here ).
One of the main reasons is the active Syrian-African fault, along which the rate of strong earthquakes (6 or higher on the Richter scale) is estimated at 1 every 80 years [2] [3] . Since the last powerful earthquake to hit the region occurred in the summer of 1927 (when the epicenter was in the northern Dead Sea region), there is a significant chance of another strong earthquake in the foreseeable future [4] .
[1] https://www.mapi.gov.il/Earthquake/Pages/riskAvi.aspx
[2] Earthquake Risks in the State of Israel - Dr. Avi Shapira | Israel Mapping Center (www.gov.il)
[3] https://fs.knesset.gov.il/globaldocs/MMM/40f06d8d-f1f7-e411-80c8-00155d01107c/2_40f06d8d-f1f7-e411-80c8-00155d01107c_11_7602.pdf
Reinforcement against earthquakes but also for security purposes
In 2018, a comprehensive study by the Geological Survey of Israel was published that mapped the areas prone to earthquakes in Israel. The study, conducted under the direction of the institute's chairman, Dr. Amir Sagi, identified, among others, Karmiel, Tiberias, Yesod HaMa'ale, the Nahaf local council, Beit She'an, and Eilat as cities expected to experience a high-intensity earthquake [1] .
It is important to emphasize that strengthening buildings in the Israeli periphery is not only necessary to cope with earthquakes and also has additional meanings: security significance - protection against warheads, social significance, architectural significance, and the significance of providing a response to the needs of population growth, both in general and in these areas.
On a security level, Israel is continuously exposed to threats from both steep- and flat-track rockets, particularly during sensitive security periods (from the north and south). Strengthening buildings against earthquakes, including adding protected spaces according to the relevant guidelines, therefore also constitutes reinforcement against these war threats.
This is due to the protection and shelter provided to those in the buildings, as well as a significant protective envelope against property damage and personal injury ( see here on the connection between strengthening buildings for earthquakes and establishing earthquake relief camps in Israel ).
How many buildings have been reinforced in the Israeli periphery to date?
The numbers, unfortunately, are not encouraging. According to data from the Government Authority for Urban Renewal, there are approximately 96,000 housing units in the Negev and Galilee that were not built according to the Israeli earthquake resistance standard (TI 413), located in approximately 6,700 residential buildings in saturated construction. Approximately one-third of these housing units (approximately 36,000 apartments located in approximately 1,900 buildings) are located in localities with "high seismic risk" [1] .
[1] https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/reports/idud_hitchadshut_baperiferia/he/hithadshut_ironit_documents_idud_hitchadshut_baperiferia_september_2022.pdf (page 5)
In 2018, a comprehensive study by the Geological Survey of Israel was published that mapped the areas prone to earthquakes in Israel. The study, conducted under the direction of the institute's chairman, Dr. Amir Sagi, identified, among others, Karmiel, Tiberias, Yesod HaMa'ale, the Nahaf local council, Beit She'an, and Eilat as cities expected to experience a high-intensity earthquake [1] .
It is important to emphasize that strengthening buildings in the Israeli periphery is not only necessary to cope with earthquakes and also has additional meanings: security significance - protection against warheads, social significance, architectural significance, and the significance of providing a response to the needs of population growth, both in general and in these areas.
On a security level, Israel is continuously exposed to threats from both steep- and flat-track rockets, particularly during sensitive security periods (from the north and south). Strengthening buildings against earthquakes, including adding protected spaces according to the relevant guidelines, therefore also constitutes reinforcement against these war threats.
This is due to the protection and shelter provided to those in the buildings, as well as a significant protective envelope against property damage and personal injury ( see here on the connection between strengthening buildings for earthquakes and establishing earthquake relief camps in Israel ).
How many buildings have been reinforced in the Israeli periphery to date?
The numbers, unfortunately, are not encouraging. According to data from the Government Authority for Urban Renewal, there are approximately 96,000 housing units in the Negev and Galilee that were not built according to the Israeli earthquake resistance standard (TI 413), located in approximately 6,700 residential buildings in saturated construction. Approximately one-third of these housing units (approximately 36,000 apartments located in approximately 1,900 buildings) are located in localities with "high seismic risk" [1] .
[1] https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/reports/idud_hitchadshut_baperiferia/he/hithadshut_ironit_documents_idud_hitchadshut_baperiferia_september_2022.pdf (page 5)
Why are there gaps between the periphery and the center in strengthening buildings against earthquakes and security risks? The answer lies in the economic barometer. As stated, in simple terms, in the "Report on Recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Encouraging Urban Renewal in the Periphery" (prepared on behalf of the Government Authority for Urban Renewal and the Ministry of Construction and Housing):
" The desire to promote urban renewal activities in peripheral cities, for which there is no dispute about the national need and its supreme importance, encounters a fundamental difficulty due to the basic fact that, as a rule, urban renewal processes in the periphery are not economically viable " (emphasis not in the original) [1] .
The state encourages business and professional entities to promote urban renewal, but because the incentives are economic and depend on the financial value of the land and real estate, the periphery is left behind.
The low land and apartment values in the Negev and Galilee constitute a barrier to the realization of projects by virtue of the free market. Urban renewal projects involve high costs resulting from the developer's expenses in obtaining tenant consent, evacuating tenants to temporary housing (in their area of residence), demolition, construction time, etc. Similarly, these projects are fraught with risks and contain a high degree of uncertainty. In the periphery, these challenges combine with low demand for properties in saturated construction.
[1] Ibid. (page 7).
The economic barometer
In December 2021, the government established an inter-ministerial committee to formulate recommendations to resolve the issue of strengthening buildings against earthquakes in the periphery. The committee sat on the podium and published a series of recommendations that concern economic, planning, and social aspects. Below are the main recommendations [1] :
· Identification, mapping and prioritization – The areas in the periphery that are most suitable for promoting urban renewal must be identified, mapped and prioritized, including those where economic feasibility does not necessarily reach the minimum required entrepreneurial threshold. This is with the aim that the findings of these tests will form the basis for formulating budgeting, planning and implementation plans in the medium and long term.
· Promoting statutory planning to create an inventory of urban renewal plans in the Negev and Galilee based on the work of identification, mapping and prioritization.
· Formulating tools to create economic viability for urban renewal in the periphery through various means. For example, specific tax benefits, financial support (including guarantees and loans with lower than usual profitability), and budgeting for government grants to fill economic viability gaps.
· Use of public land for the promotion of urban renewal complexes, especially when the public land is located in close proximity to evacuation and construction complexes.
· Promoting informational and organizational assistance to local authorities in terms of manpower, as well as providing tools and knowledge to authority employees and residents.
· Involvement of social entrepreneurs and impact funds to reduce the costs of establishing urban renewal projects in the Negev and Galilee.
· Promoting purchasing groups in urban renewal projects in the periphery to facilitate the cash flow necessary to carry out the project (as well as creating the added value of forming a defined community).
The steering committee believed that combining tools could jumpstart the urban renewal engine in the periphery while creating certainty for entrepreneurs, reducing economic gaps in the viability of projects relative to the center, and expanding circles of activity.
Are the committee's recommendations good news? Experience shows that there is a long distance between statements and reports and performance on the ground. See, for example, the words of Elazar Bamberger, Director General of the Government Authority for Urban Renewal, in words spoken as recently as September 2022, referring to a strategic plan adopted by the state in 2017:
"The current situation in Israel shows zero urban renewal in the peripheral cities in recent years, in complete contrast to the goals presented within the framework of the strategic housing plan that the state adopted as a decision in 2017 " [2] .
[1] https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/reports/idud_hitchadshut_baperiferia/he/hithadshut_ironit_documents_idud_hitchadshut_baperiferia_september_2022.pdf (pages 24-33)
State recommendations in the inter-ministerial committee
Dr. Benny Brosh believes that the solutions for promoting urban renewal in the periphery are based on planning-economic foundations, but also on education, outreach, and awareness. He recommends examining in depth additional solutions that have not yet been implemented. For example, transferring the obligation to strengthen from the center, where building rights will be received, to the periphery, where the structures will be strengthened, despite the fact that this is a different planning space.
For example, a contractor who receives significant building rights in the economic center will be obligated to strengthen housing units and buildings in the periphery according to a predetermined key; either actual strengthening or by depositing money into a national fund for strengthening buildings in the periphery. For example: for each square meter of building rights in the center, the contractor will be obligated to strengthen a certain number of housing units (of course, the actual strengthening will be at the building level).
"Building rights are an economic benefit," emphasizes Dr. Brosh. "Planning institutions tend to view them as rights that are prohibited from crossing the planning space in which they were granted, but I believe that this perception can be challenged, as it is not a 'one-size-fits-all' situation."
It is also possible to incentivize or facilitate contractors who work in the periphery in aspects of taxation or regulation. The state cannot take the initiative, but it is certainly capable of using the tools at its disposal, with taxation and regulation being the most prominent of them. Both to reduce construction costs and to speed up the process.
In addition, the state is required to help urban renewal in the periphery through subsidies. It should be understood that this is actually an investment and not a waste. The costs of the damage of the Ada earthquake to the state and society are fantastic. Even if many buildings do not collapse on their residents but "only" do not allow for reasonable living.
The costs will include evacuation, alternative housing, rehabilitation, demolition and construction, care for evacuees, all their daily needs, provision of infrastructure, regional and environmental rehabilitation of all infrastructure, damage to education, and more. To these must be added the costs of treating the injured and killed and the cost of rescue efforts for buildings that have collapsed or partially collapsed. Any building that is reinforced or replaced with a reinforced and modern structure saves immeasurably significant expenses in the near or distant future.
"Building rights are economic profit"
Dr. Brosh believes that the state can (and should) lead the way in promoting urban renewal projects with the help of a reliable, continuous, and creative outreach system.
"The more the public in Israel is aware of the physical and mental damage caused by earthquakes, the higher the value of reinforced and protected apartments in the periphery and the center. The value of old apartments will decrease over time, the economic viability of replacing old buildings with new ones or strengthening existing ones will increase, and more apartments in all regions of the country will slowly cross the line of economic viability for urban renewal," he explains.
"True, it is, so to speak, 'robbing the sheep of the herd' and causing damage to apartments that are already of low value, especially in the periphery, in such a way that apartments there will be even cheaper. On the other hand, it is important to understand that this is a gradual process of years and in any case, the tenants relevant to the implementation of urban renewal, generally, do not lose out in the transition from the old to the new. The decline in economic value is moderate and is as nothing compared to the economic damage, both at the national and private levels, of the collapse of an apartment in an earthquake and the loss of human life."
Dr. Brosh adds that further encouragement for urban renewal should come from the insurance industry. "The economic motivation of paying annual insurance costs can incentivize potential buyers to choose reinforced and protected apartments, thus, again, encouraging urban renewal," he emphasizes, "Insurance companies must calculate the policies in detail with the help of seismic data, structural engineers and appraisers. They must truly recognize the potential damage to a structure in an earthquake and set the premium accordingly."
Increasing awareness among apartment owners
In conclusion,
Strengthening buildings against earthquakes in the periphery is a national task and not just a challenge of the "free market." Many committees have dealt with the issue, experts have provided different perspectives, Knesset members have given speeches, but the result on the ground refuses to change and is clearly unsatisfactory.
It is to be hoped that Israel will be able to identify effective paths to promote urban renewal outside of the Dan Bloc and the lowlands. It is precisely the Israeli periphery that is "at the forefront" in this regard as well.
Strengthening buildings against earthquakes in the periphery is a national task and not just a challenge of the "free market." Many committees have dealt with the issue, experts have provided different perspectives, Knesset members have given speeches, but the result on the ground refuses to change and is clearly unsatisfactory.
It is to be hoped that Israel will be able to identify effective paths to promote urban renewal outside of the Dan Bloc and the lowlands. It is precisely the Israeli periphery that is "at the forefront" in this regard as well.
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