Maintaining Community Resilience through Urban Renewal Processes Using Architectural and Planning Guidelines

Abstract

The article deals with community resilience-oriented urban renewal in a geographical periphery, and the characteristic patterns of public housing built in the 1950s and 1960s. When the existing fabric is well-established and effectively serves the residents, demolition and redevelopment may not be the most strategic approach if they undermine the internal resilience of public housing based on functionality. The article addresses the question of how to add new construction and a new population to these patterns of public housing in the periphery without affecting the community resilience of longtime residents and the sense of urban vitality and innovation of the new population. In order to address this question, we examined the built environment’s qualities in relation to the population’s resilience. Specifically, we conducted a quality analysis of the built environment focusing primarily on walkability and connectivity, diversity and land uses, open public spaces, and visibility to internal and external views. The findings of the analysis recommend developing a multiple urban spatial network relying on the longtime community’s resilience and a new spatial network for the newcomers. This is a potentially win–win solution. The old neighborhoods remain, while at the same time an additional layer of housing and other land uses will be developed along the edges of existing neighborhoods. The proposed analysis will be demonstrated on the peripherical city of Kiryat Yam.