נרקיס יפה
אינה ברנפלד
Narkis Joffe
Inna Berenfeld

From a nuisance to an opportunity | A city’s excess water is commonly regarded as a nuisance that needs to be drained and removed. By using the properties of water wisely, this perceived nuisance could be merged into the greater harmony of the urban fabric.
Climate change | Out of the severe damage caused by flooding, This project offers to create a new urban experience, that would enrich the city’s tapestry.
Our suggestion | Constructing a water canal in Tel Aviv-Yafo, which would cross the city from east to west. The canal runs through Salame st., located in Northern Jaffa. The site that was chosen is a neglected area of the city, which has been identified by the Tel Aviv municipal authorities as a candidate for urban renewal.

An ecological desert | The city is often perceived as an “ecological desert” - an area containing limited biodiversity, where most ecological circles are broken. The project creates a system that improves the urban fabric and revives its lost biodiversity. In addition, it raises public and educational awareness for the city’s ability to handle climate-related and ecological crises.
Change of seasons | The canal functions in two main modes:
A summer mode, during which it purifies and fills up the coastal aquifer.
A winter mode, during which the canal enables quick draining of flood waters, thereby preventing future disasters.
In all seasons the canal and its banks support a thriving and diverse ecosystem, provide a background for learning about water-sensitive systems in the city, and cool the urban heat island - all the while supporting a harmonious existence of the residents with and alongside water.

Our approach | Our approach combines the nature of a river and the city’s character into a unified pattern. We see the tension between the river and the city as an opportunity to enrich the urban environment and the human experience it generates. Correctly planned, a river running through an urban area benefits the city’s landscape, and is a social, environmental and economic asset for the city - one that provides the benefits of a truly valuable open area.