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Housing Shortage
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Architecture of Israel #
105
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May
2016
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page
english
It is by no means comforting that the housing crisis is
not unique to Israel; progressive countries like The
Netherlands, UK and Sweden have been dealing with
it for years. In Stockholm, for instance prices are tens of
percent higher than those in Tel Aviv, and the homeless
are sometimes forced to live in a density of ten tenants
to a unit, and in many cases, several apartments share
one bathroom.
Construction costs are basically divided between
production costs and the land price, which categorically
depends on location. Evidence of this is the significant
difference between the price of an apartment in Afula
or one in Tel Aviv. Hence, neutralizing construction from
the cost of land is likely to cause a significant drop in
housing costs, provided that areas reserved for future
generations are unharmed and, no less important -
that parallel action is taken immediately to ensure that
supply meets demand, which is in fact the subject under
discussion here.
A conceptual competition initiated by New London
Architecture (NLA) - a professional forum aiming to
improve the architectural situation in London - has rated
the top ten ideas for resolving the housing shortage by
neutralizing the land factor. Although the rules of the
game differ there, the shortage is the same and we can
undoubtedly adopt some of their ideas to burst the real-
estate bubble here too.
Patrick J.A. Massey, CZWG
suggests locating and
buying up neglected urban spaces to build rental
apartment blocks. Mapping available areas in town
may, they believe, ensure such a solution could produce
approximately 630,000 rental housing units owned by
the municipality, while the demand forecast over the next
what really
lies behind
the housing shortage
One doesn’t have to be a distinguished economist to know that the cause of the constant
rise in the price of apartments in Israel, like other places, lies in the ratio between supply
and demand. The immediate reasons would appear to be the geographically limited
land as opposed to the consistent population growth, accelerated by a sharp rise in the
divorce rate. Neither does one have to be an MK (better not in fact) to understand that
hasty political statements, without understanding the rules of the game, only confuse
people rushing then to buy flats, thus causing a rise in prices.
decade is less than 480,000 units in greater London.
Even if this assessment is exaggerated, a solution of this
kind could be helpful with regard to the housing shortage
and, consequently, improve the face of any city.
Bill Price from WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff,
suggests
building residential towers upon every public building in
the city, ranging from hospitals to schools and libraries.
The buildings are already owned by the public, have
green areas and even facilities that for part of the day
are not even used. A shift in thinking enables one to
neutralize the area factor, without increasing the rate of
density.
HTA Design LLP
suggests increasing the density rate
on suburban outskirts by implementing mixed uses. If
the process is done with community involvement, it is
likely to reduce dependency on entrepreneurs who are
granted excessive building rights, thus aggravating
suburbanization.
Natasha Reid Design
suggests expanding municipal
involvement in urban housing construction as part of
the East London renewal plans. The district is similar in
character to south Tel Aviv quarters, such as the Hatikva
and Shapira neighborhoods, as well as significant parts
of Jaffa, which benefit from the existing urban fabric, not
to mention proximity to the beach, currently utilized only
for luxury buildings.
Baca Architects
suggests learning from the past and
encouraging the construction of floating houses on
the Thames and sub-channels winding along for 50
kilometers. We may not have a Thames, but the overall
length of the Yarkon is 28 km, the distance from Tel Aviv
to Netanya. Such a solution could give young people
Dr. Hilit Mazor
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