Spaces/Places Casestudy: Rebranding Tel Aviv Flashcards
1
Q
Where is Tel Aviv?
A
- A city in the Gushdan metropolitan area in Israel
- It is located on Israel’s Mediterranean coastline
- It is around 54km away from Jerusalem
2
Q
What is the significance of Tel Aviv as a place?
A
- Tel Aviv is the most populous city in Israel’s Gush Dan metropolitan area.
- It is Israel’s second largest city
- It is the 25th most important global financial center in the world
- It is home to Israel’s only stock exchange, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
- It is home to one of the world’s major tech hubs
3
Q
Why has Tel-Aviv achieved economic stability through more advanced sectors?
A
- Tel-Aviv was built on sand dunes, and the area was unsuitable for farming (primary sector), so had to adopt other means of economic stability.
- Tel-Aviv’s sectors include finance, science, research and manufacturing industries such as chemical processing, textile plants and food.
4
Q
What is Tel-Aviv’s population?
A
Around 450,000.
5
Q
Why did Tel-Aviv have to rebrand?
A
- Tel-Aviv grew rapidly due to attraction of migrants from Europe that were attracted to the infrastructure reflecting with settlements in Europe. Following the war, 700k migrants entered Israel, with many settling in Tel-Aviv.
- The city’s population, therefore grew from 15000 inhabitants in 1920 to 230000 people by 1947.
- By the 1970s Tel-Aviv had started to experience population and urban decline - this was due to cramped housing conditions, high property values and the Yom Kippur War that pushed people away.
- Tel Aviv’s population fell by 20% as a result of natural decrease from an aging population and migration to other cities.
6
Q
What decade did Tel-Aviv begin to rebrand?
A
The 1980s.
7
Q
How had Tel-Aviv rebranded in terms of retail and leisure?
A
- The 1980s saw a 24-hour city culture develop as night-time venues were opened to serve large numbers of suburban Israeli in Tel Aviv and surrounding cities.
- This co-incided with the opening of Israel’s first shopping mall, the Dizengoff Centre, construction of the Marganit Tower, the Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre and the new Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
8
Q
What did the government do in the 2000s to promote rebranding in Tel Aviv?
A
- Tel Aviv’s local government in the early 2000s focused on attracting more younger residents to the city (when Ofir was born!!!)
9
Q
How was the built environment of Tel Aviv rebranded in the 2000s?
A
- There were investments from the local government to create large boulevards to create attractive pedestrian spaces.
- UNESCO recognized Tel Aviv’s White City (like in London) as a world heritage site to protect Modernist buildings.
- Derelict areas such as Tel Aviv Port and Jaffa railway station were converted into leisure spaces, whereas older areas were gentrified and redeveloped.
10
Q
What are the future plans for Tel Aviv’s rebranding?
A
- There are many plans for future developments, approved in 2016 by the city’s mayor Ron Huldai, called the ‘master plan for Tel Aviv’.
- This includes the development of 120,000 new housing units in addition to 100,000 units already in construction.
- The transformation of the remaining part of the ‘new central bus station’ into business and retail began in 2020, with resident dwellings to follow.
11
Q
What roles of players are there in rebranding Tel Aviv?
A
- The role of sport
- The role of culture
- The role of business and governments
- The role of local groups
12
Q
What is the role and influence of sport upon Tel Aviv’s rebranding?
A
- Tel Aviv hosts a young population profile, meaning sports plays a major role in Tel Aviv’s brand
- Tel Aviv is the only city in Israel to have three football teams in the Israeli Premier League.
- In 2009 the Tel Aviv Marathon was resurrected after a 15 year break, and from 2016 has attracted 40,000 entrants yearly internationally.
- In line with it’s slogan ‘non-stop city’ sporting events such as the annual Night Run, the Women’s Race and the Mud Run helps to attract tourists and new inhabitants to Tel Aviv.
13
Q
What is the role and influence of culture upon Tel Aviv’s rebranding?
A
- Tel Aviv promotes culture, being a major center for cultural experiences and entertainment
- Tel Aviv has 18/35 major performing arts centers, this includes: the national theatre of Israel and the Habima Theatre
- The Habima Theatre has recently been the center of a $26 million dollar redevelopment program. This program incorporates public space designed by a world-leading architect to connect the theatre to the nearby Helena Rubinstein Pavillion of Art and the **Mann Auditorium*. This collectively created Tel Aviv’s cultural square.
- Tel-Aviv boasts restaurants, night life galleries - and in addition is renowned for welcoming LGBT people (Tel Aviv’s Pride Parade is the largest in Asia) - this helped to promote the city as one of the most vibrant and creative places in the world.
14
Q
A player, Tel Aviv Global, plays a role in rebranding Tel Aviv - what does this organization (business) do?
A
- Players such as business leaders and local government organizations such as Tel Aviv Global have built Tel Aviv as a city of innovation, investment and startup businesses.
- Tel Aviv Global aims to use national initiatives to position the city as a global brand, hub of innovation, entrepreneurship and a tourist destination.
- It aims to make the city one of the largest tourist destinations by 2030 through utilizing the 14km coastline, vibrant urbanism of culture, nightlife and food, as well as the heritage zone of Jaffa. This combines heritage, history and dynamic multiculturalism.
- It also aims to advance the city economically by drawing in start-up companies, established innovators and hi-tech companies globally. This is through incentives, removed barriers and an economic brand that ‘looks East’ to East Asian markets and cultural ties.
15
Q
What is the aim of Tel Aviv’s Smart City Initiative (it affects businesses and local players) ?
A
- To help Israel meet targets from the 2015 Paris Agreement, promoting Tel-Aviv as a progressive environmentalist city.
- Decentralized energy production such as the Tel Aviv solar roof project uses a budget of 14k to map solar energy potential, encouraging specified residents to install solar roof systems with discounted suppliers and financial assistance.
- The Green Label for Business in Tel Aviv encourages businesses to adopt green practices such as reducing energy use and using water sustainably.
- Community gardens encourage neighborhoods to turn open spaces into gardens.
16
Q
What is a place specific area we need to know small-scale rebranding for in Tel Aviv?
A
Tel Aviv Port (rebranding in 2010)
17
Q
Why did Tel Aviv port need rebranding?
A
Tel Aviv port opened in the late 1930s, yet was only used to full capacity for the first 3 years of being open.
- There had been several attempts to reinvigorate the port, it remained a failure to be successfully utilized and was eventually closed in the mid 1960s.
- It was disused and derelict until 2002.
18
Q
How was Tel Aviv port rebranded in 2002?
A
- In 2002 a competition was announced by the port management to revive port areas and the vital open spaces present in the area.
- Architects looked to recreate a historical link between the city and waterfront that had been abandoned for half a century.
- The redevelopment project was led by the architects Mayslits Kassif had linked the north and southern sides of the city along new open spaces designed as wavy boulevards - mimicking Tel Aviv’s previous natural sand dunes
- This project took 5 years and 5 million dollars to construct, being complete in 2008.
19
Q
What players may have been negatively affected, or contest Tel Aviv’s rebranding?
A
- Some local resident groups, such as low-income residents
- Cultural groups, such as Arabs in Jaffa that feel their cultural identity is being erased by focus on culture that correlates with Judaism.
- Environmental groups who criticize lack of vegetation in the Port and use of timber in design.
20
Q
In what ways has Tel-Aviv’s rebranding altered perception of place
A
- The rebranding from Tel Aviv’s Smart City Initiative, accompanied by the Green Label for Business has introduced an image of environmental cohesion - promoting Tel Aviv as an environmentally friendly city.
- Tel Aviv’s global perception has changed, being branded as a vibrant tourist destination that attracts foreign investment. This generates money and income - adding to economic growth and perception of Tel Aviv as a ‘global city’.
21
Q
What players have been positively affected by Tel-Aviv’s rebranding?
A
- Business owners - such as shop, bar and restaurant owners.
22
Q
How may locals suffer from rebranding?
A
- Rebranding drives gentrification which raises living costs and displaces long-term, low-income residents - and especially marginalized communities such as Mizrahi Jews who are excluded from urban growth.
- So in all, many locals feel that rebranding has prioritized those of high income and foreign investors, rather than creating a dynamic place for pre-existing residents.
- So, it can induce spatial inequality - rather than promote equality.
23
Q
In what way can Tel Aviv’s rebranding be perceived as negative?
A
- Tel Aviv’s rebranding, although in image being advanced and progressive can be perceived as a ‘bubble-city’ - this is where social issues are relatively ignored in favor of attracting tourists and investment.
