A former dump in Israel will be converted into a theme park focusing on recycling -- the centerpiece to what will be a 2,000 acre public park.
"The Hiriya dump, closed nine years ago, will serve as the centerpiece for what is to become a vast 2,000-acre urban wilderness. The monumental dirt mountain, which sits at the intersection of some of Israel's busiest highways, will be transformed into a beauty spot designed by a German landscape architect, Prof. Peter Latz."
"When the dignitaries gather, a seething mass of more than 565 million cubic feet of garbage will be slowly decomposing underfoot, releasing a noxious cocktail of greenhouse gases - mostly methane and carbon dioxide, with a few sulfur compounds thrown in. It will take many more years for all the waste matter to break down."
"'At first I thought it should go,' said Martin Weyl, a former director of the Israel Museum, who first came up with the idea of turning the dump into an attraction. 'But then I thought garbage is a big part of our lives. We shouldn't hide it.'"
"Instead, Hiriya is set to become an environmental beacon and a theme park on recycling for children, tapping into a global concern."
Read the full story: Recycling in Israel, Not Just Trash, but the Whole Dump
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Democrats’ victory may threaten act to expedite energy projects
Democrats may decide to vote against the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, and negotiate a more favorable bill once the 120th Congress begins.
Voters choose public transit, approve $31 billion in funding
Approved projects include $101,000 for reduced-cost transit in a Michigan town and $14 billion for regional transit in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking
New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority