Talpiot commercial district in 2021 working full steam ahead towards regeneration No longer just the old, dilapidated industrial zone in disconnect from the rest of the city, but a mixed use, local district center surrounded by residential neighbourhoods, which serves as a commercial, business, and cultural center for Jerusalemites and the wider area.
Talpiot commercial district in 2021 working full steam ahead towards regeneration
No longer the old, dilapidated industrial zone disconnected from the rest of the city, but a mixed-use, local district center surrounded by residential neighborhoods, which serves as a commercial, business and cultural center for Jerusalemites and the wider area.
‘Eden’ – The Jerusalem Economic Development Company, working together with investment from the municipality, has launched a transformation process in the urban public space in parallel with major building construction on privately owned land in the area. These processes are driven by a change in perception and rebranding of the district, together with development of the local cultural scene. Participants include the local community, artists and craftsmen, start-ups, local businesses and the adjacent neighborhoods.
So far, the upgrade of the eastern section of HaSadna Street has been completed, along with the planned extension of south Pierre Koenig Street, and work on the next stage is scheduled to begin soon. Pierre Koenig Street has been transformed from a dilapidated throughfare into a spectacular boulevard, and a number of roadside parking spaces have been converted into “parklets” – mobile, shaded and accessible mini-gardens.
We cracked the code on how to create urban murals and now enjoy contemporary street art visited by people from around the country, which we plan to copy and expand.
Cultural events hosted locally over the past year include the Israel Festival, the Shaon Horef Cultural Festival, “Generator” and “BaRoutina”, which emphasized the natural connection between local culture and the regeneration of the industrial area, in keeping with the movement to create a lively alternative to the Jerusalem downtown scene.
After years in which individual building permits were not approved and actioned due to urban zoning plan restrictions, construction has begun on 110,000 square meters of commercial and business property in the district which, together with the inauguration of the new light railway line and the completion of Road 16, will significantly improve accessibility to the city entrance and other neighborhoods.
This website presents some of the projects which have an impact on the public urban space and the development of the cultural scene in the area. These projects are designed to promote a complete overhaul of how the area is conceived to help integrate the emerging contemporary urban scene which requires the collaboration of planners, the local authority, local businesses and the community.
The Mural Project began in 2018 as an international arts project which brought local and international artists to paint giant murals in the heart of the Talpiot industrial zone.
ציורי הקירות
ציורי הקירות
ציורי הקירות
בעלי המלאכה
בעלי המלאכה
אירועים בתלפיות
The Jerusalem Municipality and ‘Eden’ are preparing to begin work to renovate Ha’Uman Street as part of the master plan to develop the urban public space as part of the transformation of the Talpiot district.
Work is expected to begin in 2021 and will take about 18 months.
The works are part of the project to renew the sewers, drainage, water, electricity and communications infrastructure, and the creation of bike lanes and pedestrian boulevards between Pierre Koenig Street and the Railway Park. Renovations will include landscaping, new street lighting and street furniture, as well as repaving of the road, renovating the sidewalks, creating new parking spaces and burying underground garbage receptacles at Ha’Uman 20. The overhead electric cables adjacent to HaSadna Square will also be buried and the intersection will be traffic light-controlled.
Totem Company – Imaging & Animation
חברת טוטם הדמיה ואנימציה
חברת טוטם הדמיה ואנימציה
חברת טוטם הדמיה ואנימציה
The municipality of Jerusalem, through the ‘Eden’ Company, has completed the first phase of the continuation of Pierre Koenig Street southwards to join Moshe Baram Way.
The works on Phase 2 will be carried out on the section between Moshe Baram Way and Ha’Uman Street. The work includes infrastructure works, road paving, sidewalks and a bicycle lane, traffic lights, lighting, landscaping, and street furniture.
The project is the implementation of the approved (TABU) urban master plan No. 71951 to open Pierre Koenig Street south for a further 500 meters to link it to Moshe Baram Way. The area covered by the plan is 93,300 square meters. Building rights according to the urban master plan include 60,000 square meters of commercial space, 190,000 square meters of business space, and 10,000 square meters of public buildings.
In this way, a 1.5-kilometer-long central avenue will be created with 30-story buildings built on privately owned lots, creating a transportation axis, commercial and workplaces, entertainment and homes, which will stretch from Moshe Baram Way to the Oranim Junction at its northern point. This is the infrastructure flagship project of the Talpiot area renewal project and its reincarnation as a mixed-use area which also includes the construction of thousands of housing units. Work on the light railway that will traverse the area in the section between HaParsa Street and the Oranim Junction is scheduled to begin in March 2022.
Presently, three major private construction projects are in progress along Pierre Koenig Street. The Triumph lot, the Bezeq-Kolmobil lot, and the Kiryat Ono College in the Zol U’begadol lot. These projects encompass tens of thousands of square meters of commercial and office space which will become available within three years, alongside residential units built according to the building rights provided as part of the new master plan.
Stage 1 of the project has been completed and connects Moshe Baram Way and Ha’Uman Street.
Stage 2 of the project was begun in 2020 and includes temporary neighborhood enhancement works in the section between Ha’Sadna and Ha’Uman Streets.
Stage 3 will involve the construction of an underground public parking lot that will provide 600 parking spaces beneath the length of the main thoroughfare as part of the integrated transportation and parking concept for Talpiot. Above the parking lot will be built the Ha’Uman to Ha’Sadna Street section.
Pierre Koenig Street – the view from Moshe Baram Way, north
Pierre Koenig Street – the new public space in Talpiot
The light railway on Pierre Koenig Street
רחוב פייר קניג – מבט מדרך משה ברעם צפונה
פייר קניג דרום - מרחב ציבורי חדש בתלפיות
רכבת קלה ברחוב פייר קניג
The renewal project for Pierre Koenig Street in Talpiot’s industrial zone includes the reorganization of traffic and infrastructure on 4,000 square meters on the eastern side of the street, redesigning the view and street furniture, and incorporating five shade structures with a number of different uses. It should be noted that this renewal is only a temporary measure, as it is in the planned route of the blue line of the light railway and is expected to be removed with the start of construction in the coming years.
In 2013, the planning authority authorized the master plan that aims to transform the old Talpiot industrial zone into an urban mixed-use commercial, business and residential center. The plan designates Talpiot as an integrated urban center which will lead Jerusalem in the availability of commercial and office space, alongside an increase in residential units.
The Jerusalem Municipality and the ‘Eden’ Company have planned in advance the management of the new urban reality. Public involvement in upgrading the Talpiot area is both integrated and multidimensional and utilizes the best practice models applied worldwide to physical design and development of public space, upgrading accessibility and connectivity, business development and networking, and encouraging the cultural environment of the area in cooperation with the local community.
The Talpiot area is undergoing a dynamic transformation, from functioning as an industrial zone to becoming a vibrant, attractive business and service center for new companies, their customers and clients.
The business survey undertaken by the ‘Eden’ Company in 2016 reveals a diverse business community with a number of identifiable types of businesses such as automotive, building, commerce, workshops and light industry, food and catering, as well as an array of business peripherals and financial services. The area provides premises for art and culture groups and is fast becoming a home for over 60 start-ups and hi-tech companies.
Talpiot creates a fertile environment for start-ups with a wide variety of creative spaces, both individual and coworking, which are generally available at a reasonable cost. The network of connections between the various industries attracts new businesses that can immediately benefit from the wide range of supporting services available.
Talpiot is distinct from the city’s other commercial areas by the wealth of its connections, engagement, creativity, available large workspaces and the adjacent residential opportunities.
The momentum of urban renewal and the development of public space in the Talpiot area create an opportunity to position Talpiot as a dynamic, attractive place for business and commerce, a place to encourage creativity and the creative sector, and as a shopping, entertainment and culture district that serves the city’s residents and visitors from morning to night, offering new insights every day.
Currently, the momentum of Talpiot’s development is driven by the public sector with an integrated outlook that combines the physical environment, business and community. The implementation of the concept is guided by the ‘Eden’ Company and is dependent on the broad spectrum of collaborative municipal organizations, relying on their professional expertise and productive cooperation together with the local and business community.
Area: 1,200,000 square meters. Limits: Hebron Road, Moshe Baram Way, the railway tracks and Rivka Street
The character of the area will be changed so that it will function as the main commercial and business district in the southern part of the city. To achieve this, and in light of the trends that have emerged in the area, the plan will change the designation of Talpiot from an industrial zone into a commercial, business, and small business district. The commercial designation will permit event halls, hotels, academic and other institutions to function in the area, with light industry and workshops continuing inside the enclosed building spaces.
On the eastern and western edges of the area are existing residential neighborhoods, and these have also benefited by receiving permits for additional floors, enlarged building rights on new builds, and renewal through additional stories for existing buildings, either by adding to the original building or demolishing and building a new one in its place. The new light railway line will pass through Pierre Koenig Street, the busiest street in the area. The plan includes lengthening this street to meet Moshe Baram Way, creating a busy, wide boulevard.
The master plan was approved in 2021 by the district planning committee. The plan outlines the policy for the area, and anyone wishing to participate in its implementation should submit a detailed plan within the guidelines of the master plan.
For further information: https://www.jda.gov.il
