Not all urban renewal projects need to start with a declaration for an entire neighborhood or massive complexes of thousands of apartments. On the ground, more and more projects are advancing precisely on a small and focused scale – targeting a single street, older buildings, and bringing about deep change without disrupting the entire surroundings.
This is currently happening on Tabenkin Street in the historic Neve Sha’anan neighborhood in Haifa, where Netzer Israel Group is promoting a boutique demolition-and-reconstruction project that demonstrates how a city can be renewed – step by step, street by street.
As part of the project, six old residential buildings at Tabenkin Street 27-37 (odd numbers), currently home to 43 residents on a plot of approximately 6.5 dunams, will be demolished. In their place, a new residential complex will be built, including about 200 housing units across four buildings: Two towers up to 22 floors, in accordance with the local committee policy, alongside two textured buildings of up to seven floors.
Choosing to advance the renewal as a single complex allows for greater planning certainty, clear timelines, and realistic execution – without overloading infrastructure or changing the character of the neighborhood. The project is designed as a full-scale renewal in one stroke, including an underground parking lot, dedicated transportation solutions, green spaces, and a significant upgrade to the public realm.
Quality of Living First
Unlike projects that incorporate commercial and office space almost by default, here a conscious decision was made to preserve a distinct residential character. The design respects Neve Sha’anan’s existing fabric and focuses on quality of life: Only four apartments per floor, two air-facing facades per apartment, no trapped units, an additional ~15 m² added to the existing apartment area, similarly sized sun balconies, underground parking, and a storage unit for each apartment.
This approach reflects an urban renewal philosophy that does not settle for maximizing rights but seeks to create a high-quality, long-term living environment – for both longtime residents and the new families moving into the neighborhood.
Cumulative Change, Not a Loud Revolution
The Tabenkin project joins an expanding trend in the industry: Fewer announcements about "new neighborhoods," and more precise interventions that connect to the existing city. Instead of one large revolution, this is cumulative change – moving faster, encountering fewer barriers, and actually getting implemented. In this sense, Tabenkin is not just a specific project but an example of how urban renewal can work in practice: On a human scale, with careful planning, and while maintaining the delicate balance between old and new.
Erez Netzer, CEO of Netzer Israel Group, sums up: "Not every project needs to become a massive complex. It is precisely on this scale that smart and precise renewal can be achieved, providing real solutions for residents and respecting the urban fabric. This project is advancing on a green track, according to municipal policy, allowing a true WIN-WIN for residents, the city, and the developer. This is what urban renewal looks like when it is actually implemented and in the foreseeable future."