Proposed Pedestrian Bridge in Tel Aviv

Presented is a working-proposal for a new pedestrian bridge at the Tel Aviv.
Yarkon Park, with a municipal plaza connecting the park and the city, that was presented a few days ago to the Tel Aviv city planning department.
Hayarkon Park affords leisure and sports space for the residents, yet suffers from being closed towards the city, and from a limited movement of pedestrians within it.

The relation between the city and the park
Two main traffic arteries – Namir St. and Ibn Gabirol St. – run perpendicular to the park, while totally ignoring its presence as they pass over it. The third – Weitzman St. – funnels the pedestrian movement into the park, yet isn’t sufficiently accessible, and doesn’t create the spatial identity that should result from its centrality. It is also blocked by a youth movement building which hinders pedestrians physically, visually and symbolically.

The present situation impinges on the vibrant urban interface, and necessitates re-planning of the public accessibility.

Analysis of the park’s structure and the axes intended for pedestrians
The park encompasses 57 acres divided into two parts:
The southern part, 16 acres, interfaces with the urban fabric;
The northern part, across the river extends over 41 acres.
We assume that most of the pedestrians arrive from the southern side, as the northern one is locked between the river and Rokach Ave.

The Osishkin Promenade runs along the river on both sides, about 1000 m. from the Yarkon Bridge to Osishkin Bridge. This forced east-west axes does not enable intuitive accessibility for pedestrians who wish to cross from the southern to northern part of the park, as they have to walk quite a distance to do so. This distance creates an obstacle for children, families and elderly.
Hence, most of the park is inaccessible to pedestrians.

Our proposal, therefore, is to open the city to the park by creating a new connection between Weizmann St., which runs perpendicular to the park, and the park itself – by planning a plaza at the meeting point that will enable a lively interfacing of the park and the city. In addition, a new pedestrian-friendly bridge will enable both parts of the park to be properly connected, thereby enriching the resources both of the city and of the park.