A "15-Minute" City: Only in Jerusalem

09/11/2025

A "15-minute" city: only in Jerusalem, everything you need without leaving the neighborhood.

"Building on Quality," the first international conference of its kind in Israel, promoted by the Jerusalem Municipality, will be held on September 11, 2025 and will place the question of quality in the fields of planning, construction and design at the center of the discourse on urban space, a central topic in an era of urban congestion, planning and social challenges. In preparation for the conference, we spoke with engineer Yoel Even, the municipal engineer, and with Hila Bachar, head of planning, control and building quality in the planning directorate of the Jerusalem Municipality. In a fascinating interview, they talk about strategy, creativity, adaptations to urban renewal and, especially, about "quality" at every stage of the process.

First of all, the central question is: what is "quality" in Jerusalem's urban space? How is it defined in the context of a complex, historic and dense city like Jerusalem? "Three years ago, in a meeting with the Architects' Association, one of the participants said a sentence that stuck with me: 'Success in a city's density is taking care of its quality.'

In my opinion, it was a fundamental statement," says engineer Yoel Even. He said: "Another thing I learned at the skyscraper construction conference in Chicago is that when there are impressive, high-quality towers, density is less disruptive. We saw 70-story towers there that you don't notice and that don't bother you. This led me to the conclusion that quality must be the priority in Jerusalem. So we established the Quality Forum, which meets once a day. Many things came out of this forum, one of which is the role of Hila, who is responsible for quality. A unique role that has never existed in any city in the world.

To achieve proper planning, the demand for quality is drastic. You have to know how to generate solutions that generate quality, you have to know how to generate building rights that make the quality good. Building rights are a question of how much and how they are given. We have to know how to give what is needed in order to receive higher quality."

Jerusalem is going through a period of urban renewal. How do you balance the need for development with preserving the city's historic identity and unique fabric?
Even: "Ultimately, Jerusalem is a historic city 3,000 years old. It is built on multiple layers of history. The key to creating what is being done is knowing where to build and where to preserve."

Hila Bachar, head of quality: "There is a common desire among all our partners on the road toward a more beautiful, better and fairer city for everyone. They did it before us and they continue to do it around the world; we learn from examples and also from cases that were not successful. I think that, in the end, every unit of the administration does its best, and in fact this role and the drive toward quality seek to generate more perspectives, more support and greater momentum for the partners who accompany us on this path, who will help and strengthen us. We hope that good news will come out of Jerusalem and resonate throughout the country. And that construction in the country, in general, will be such that life is more comfortable and better for everyone.

"We know what works at the municipal level together with the complexity and what is perceived as quality planning, and we intend to implement this together with economic complexity, a historic city, preservation and all the challenges that arise in every city, but especially in Jerusalem. Ultimately, we want to generate renewal, new infrastructure and increase the preservation and urban assets that exist in Jerusalem."

Jerusalem's solution: the "Neighborhood Project Line"
Asked what the vision for urban renewal in Jerusalem is and how they make sure it serves as a tool for improving quality of life and public space, Bachar answers: "One of the big agreements reached three years ago in the Partners in the Road forum, the association of architects of the people who plan, was how to create intra-urban density, since the mayor decided not to expand into open spaces but to converge inward.

Public centers and the connection with the terrain must be optimal. People should have jobs near their homes, parks with mature trees, paths that connect to the light rail, and lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. The quality development of these spaces will generate quality of life for those who live there. Ultimately, our responsibility is to create excellent urban spaces where people want to live."

Even notes that, in order to implement the policy, the municipality decided to create a new and unique role that will encompass the activity. "We came up with the concept of a 'neighborhood project manager,' who manages a project with the help of consultants," says Even. "He is in charge of a neighborhood undergoing urban renewal and knows how to generate meaningful perspectives in all areas of life, creating a work plan that considers the pace of housing growth in parallel with public infrastructure.

We created a meaningful work plan for numerous projects with enormous investments, for example, the creation of a city called '15 minutes,' which offers practically everything needed without leaving the neighborhood. It includes culture, employment and commerce to a sufficient degree that people do not feel the need to leave the neighborhood. In this way, we can reduce traffic and train use, which also become congested as the city grows, and this is an integral part of the urban transformation taking place in Jerusalem."

At J&G Real Estate Group, we are the gateway to success in Israel. If you are developing urban renewal projects or looking to transform spaces with vision and quality, count on us. We are ready to support you in everything you need and to be your strategic partner every step of the way.

Jacki Wiluzanski

Real Estate Broker & Owner

Jerusalem Chamber of Real Estate Broker

Selling/Buying property.

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