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The Centennial Conference

In the recent years, Tel Aviv-Yafo has been undergoing many major processes of development. As part of the Centennial Celebrations, a conference on Urban Stability will engage in an 'international symposium', which will discuss these processes from a critical point of view, offering academic and professional insight into how the city should continue to develop in order to thrive. It's aim is to address the future of the city and present ideas on urban renewal in relation to sustainability.

The international symposium will consist of presentations by keynote speakers, case studies from around the world, round table discussions of mayors, city planners, architects, designers, artists, journalists and academics from leading universities, and debates between local and international speakers. These sessions will lead to a discussion on the future of Tel Aviv-Yafo in the next 100 years.

When discussing the future of Tel Aviv, the conference will take on a variety of different standpoints, considering the city in light of social demographic aspects, architectual aspects, economic aspects, energy aspects, ecological/environmental aspects, and cultural aspects; all of which will have different impacts upon the city's development. Lastly, the conference will look at what Tel Aviv will be like in 2025.

 Aside from all this, an International Student Exhibition will present a young, fresh and unrestricted vision of the city’s future. Students from China, Poland, Romania, France, the UK, USA and Canada, were asked to envision the Tel Aviv of 2059. The result is a futuristic and fresh vision for the city. The proposals will be displayed in the piazza of the Tel Aviv Center for Performing Arts. Three first prizes will be selected by an international jury.

To see a full plan of the Conference Day's Schedules Click Here

The International Symposium in Detail

Tel Aviv–Yafo celebrates 100 years and asks questions critical for the future: How is Tel Aviv-Yafo planned to progress in the next century? What is the right plan for action? What ground rules and principles need to be considered in the development and future of the city? The main subjects and aspects for discussion:

1. Social-demographic aspect

How to preserve the unique social and cultural pluralism of Tel Aviv-Yafo? How to defend the ethnic minority groups? How should we build the future city while maintaining the population fabric for Tel Aviv-Yafo in the future?

 2. Architectural aspect

Green and ecological building versus industrialized building: What is the future architectural style of the city – preserving sites or development of new sites? What is right for Tel Aviv-Yafo?

 3. Economic aspect

Sustainable economy in a city: the corporate and commercialized organizations’ position vis-à-vis city hall: How can we preserve the balance between the economic development of the city and the ecological values, yet still remain the economic center of Israel?

 4. Energy aspect

How can the city save and improve its energy systems? Alternate energy sources, waste management and garbage disposal, recycling, water desalination, and renewable energy.

 5. Ecological-environmental aspect

Green versus gray, construction versus green spaces, the place of green spaces in the life of the city, transportation systems, vehicles and parking in the coming century, air pollution and urban density. What should be done in order to arrive at the right balance for the city?

 6. Cultural aspect

What is the place of entertainment and cultural sites in the city? How will the city preserve its status as the cultural center of Israel? How is the balance found between business, entertainment and cultural enclaves constructed side-by-side?

 The course of the conference:

April 1, 2009: Day of debates and panels from 8:30 to 7pm

April 2, 2009: Day of debates and Conclusion at 12:30pm

Not only will the Mayor of Tel Aviv himself be present to share his views and greet the members of the conference, but there will also be a separate panel of Mayor's from Tel Aviv's Sister Cities present, all the way from Bonn, Freiburg, Frankfurt, Cologne, Lodz, Toulouse, and Budapest and Deputy Mayors from Inchon, Paris and Los Angeles

 And if that wasn't enough world renowned architecht Shigeru Ban will be on hand to share his unique insights in to construction technology and how to build low cost and environmentally friendly structures, highlighting the importance of social and human aspects within architecture.  

  The Student Exhibition Competition will commence on April 1st

.The international student competition will seek out the most innovative ideas for Tel Aviv-Yafo in the year 2059

Conceived as a garden city by the Scottish urban planner Patrick Geddes, Tel Aviv-Yafo can no longer rely solely on gardens and parks as its way of being "green" and sustainable. Thus, the competition will seek ideas for the city’s future, envisioning the city as a complex ecosystem. The competition is organized and managed by the David Azrieli School of Architecture at Tel Aviv University. An international jury will select the recipients of the competition’s first, second and third prizes

 Participating Schools

PennDesign / University of Pennsylvania, USA

School of Architecture/ McGill University, Montreal, Canada

School of Architecture / University of Tsinghua, Beijing, China

School of Architecture/ Polytechnico di Torino, Italy

Architectural Association / London, UK

Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning/ University of Bucharest, Romania

Faculty of Industrial Design / Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, Poland

School of Architecture/ Ecole nationale supérieure d'architecture de Paris-la Villette, France

School of Architecture/ Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning / Technion–Israel Institute of Technology

Interior Design / College of Management, Rishon LeZion, Israel

Azrieli School of Architecture/ Tel Aviv University, Israel

* Changes may occur.