Jerusalem 5800 English

The Metropolitan Jerusalem Master Plan

Urban forests on the

outskirts of the city

of Jerusalem. The

picturesque neighborhood

of Ein Karem.

Urban Forest

A properly planned urban forest can transform a gloomy, gray city GREEN

into a pleasant, and lively one. Thorough planning of urban forest areas

and bringing the community together for forest preservation will make

Jerusalem a true city of gardens.

An “urban forest” is a relatively small area

of natural or urbanized woodland close

to developed areas, whose residents are

actively involved in its cultivation. They

may even participate in its planning. The

creation and existence of an urban forest

are most appropriate for metropolitan

Jerusalem, but they rarely happen there.

Because of a lack of planning, urban

spaces run into woodland, forests, and

adjacent agricultural areas. In most cases,

the rear sides of the city are cleared for

this purpose – and this is how the open

areas become garbage dumps subject to

fires. The Jerusalem Forest is an example

of a forest that was created without a

real plan. The trees planted there were

planted according to forestation policy and

became an urban forest – which is different

than forest trees planted in the city for

gardening purposes.

Well-planned development and

cultivation of urban forests can achieve

better results. If planned properly, the

urban forest will integrate with the urban

expanse. It will be diverse and comprised

of various plants which are native flora

to the region. The border between the

forest and residential, industrial, and

transportation zones will be properly

The Layout of Open Areas

For thousands of years, there

were agricultural plots wherever

people resided, including in

cities. The Jerusalem 5800 plan

proposes bringing agriculture

back to the city.

URBAN

AGRICULTURE

Use a sizeable

amount of the

metropolis’

land for organic

farming

Cultivation

of landscape

orchards by

the city’s

residents

Cultivate

rural tourism,

including hands-

on experience

and purchase of

produce

Establish

agriculture on

balconies and

home gardens

Rehabilitation

and cultivation

of tangible

remnants

of ancient

culture

Growing leafy

greens and

beehives on

roofs

Use of

reclaimed

and gray

water

Improve

grazing areas

around the city

Goals of the urban agriculture development plan

center of the city and the neighborhoods will

assist firefighters and aid workers with forest

fires close to residential neighborhoods.

The agricultural and residential regions

of metropolitan Jerusalem are saturated with

the remains of ancient agriculture: terraces,

wine presses and cisterns, springs, irrigation

systems, pools and various structures used for

agriculture. Only a small number of these

ruins have been reconstructed and nurtured.

In addition to this, metropolitan Jerusalem

contains unexploited agricultural regions. In

the past, there were vintners, produce farmers,

dairy farmers, poultry farmers, shepherds and

animal herders in the towns and kibbutzim

in the region. Today, for the most part, they

do not deal in agriculture. In the areas of the

metropolis beyond the green line lies the

agricultural city of Jericho, and there is intense

agricultural activity in the Jordan Valley, the

shores of the Dead Sea, and farming on the

mountain ridge including crops, olive groves,

and deciduous fruits. There is also grazing

land used for sheep and goats inside the

metropolitan area, but these areas suffer from

overgrazing and failing herd management.

Classic urban agriculture aims to reunite the

urban dweller and agricultural work. The crux

of the plan is to lease relatively small plots on

the outskirts and in the center of the city to

residents and to encourage them to use recycled

materials to manage agriculture.

The Layout of Open Areas