Architect Urges Israeli Leaders to Experience Public Transport and Urban Life Beyond Cars
Architect Orna Angel highlights a critical issue in Israeli public life: political leaders often travel across the country exclusively by car, limiting their understanding of everyday realities faced by citizens who rely on public transportation. She notes that politicians visit cities like Kiryat Shmona, Beersheba, Jerusalem, and various communities in the periphery, meeting residents and promising change, yet their mode of travel shields them from challenges such as waiting for delayed buses, walking in harsh weather, or navigating unsafe or inaccessible routes.
Angel argues that this car-centric approach reflects a broader neglect of urban planning and public space quality in Israel. She describes how city entrances have become dominated by roads, signs, fences, and parking lots, while sidewalks are broken, trees are brutally cut, and bus stops are poorly designed without consideration for human needs. New neighborhoods prioritize vehicle traffic over pedestrian life, resulting in ugly, unlivable environments rarely discussed by public officials.
Drawing on Canadian geographer Leslie Kern's concept of the "Feminist City," Angel stresses that cities should be designed to accommodate daily human activities and diverse users, including pedestrians, caregivers, and vulnerable populations. She cites Vienna as an example of a city that has long integrated such human-centered planning, with accessible sidewalks, lighting, reliable public transit, green spaces, and amenities that support safety and comfort.
Angel also connects urban design to social justice and healing, especially in the aftermath of trauma following the October 7 attacks. She points out that while psychological care is vital, the environment people return to after therapy profoundly affects their well-being. A chaotic, noisy, and neglected public space contrasts sharply with one that offers greenery, order, accessibility, and human connection.
Concluding, Angel calls on Israeli politicians seeking leadership to step out of their cars, use public transport, and spend time in city squares outside Tel Aviv to truly see the country as it is. She emphasizes that investing in public space signals respect for all citizens, not just those with private gardens and cars, and that planning is ultimately a matter of justice. Israel needs a government that not only protects but also nurtures its people's quality of life.
