From New Towns to Development Towns

This chapter highlights Israel's national Master Plan of 1950 and why it is considered an outstanding example of post-Second World War national planning. This carefully formulated chapter situates physical planning in relation to the development of a national economy, the integration of a multitude of immigrants from diverse cultures, and the possibility that the War of Independence might not be Israel's final conflict. The plan also reflects new opportunities once the British no longer limited settlement. The British policy of obstructing land purchases outside of designated zones resulted in excessive concentration of the Jewish population in large cities, especially Tel Aviv. Excessive population density not only made for reduced standards for public health and amenities and costly services, but it also constituted a compact, vulnerable target in the event of future hostilities.