In recent years, the Jerusalem Municipality has been promoting construction projects that would transform the city and the urban landscape, in some cases with skyscrapers that would accommodate many people.
There are about 500 buildings that could be built, and many of the city's residents are concerned about the drastic change this could bring to their way of life. For example, a group of hundreds of residents of the Baka neighborhood in Jerusalem, where a project to build a 26-story tower on Asher Street has been approved, signed a petition arguing that this construction will destroy the historic and residential character of the area.
Sara Ben Shaul Weiss, a member of a local activist group, says that with these projects “they are creating a situation where local citizens will not be able to afford to live here.”
On the other hand, the project's defenders claim that these buildings are necessary to meet housing demand and modernize the city. Yoel Even, the engineer in charge of urban planning, argues that this vertical expansion is key: “building high is the best use of the city's limited space.” According to Even, this avoids having to build in protected areas, speeds up transportation and allows for the development of more green areas.
It would be a shame if the historical character of Jerusalem were to be destroyed. If such buildings were to be built, they should be quite far from the historic city, otherwise many tourists would not return to the city and many others would no longer feel the interest in visiting it.