As part of dealing with the climate crisis by shading the urban space, the Ministry of Environmental Protection in collaboration with the Israel Mapping Center established a website that provides a mapping of vegetation data and an index of treetop coverage on streets in Israel. The map gives a snapshot of the cities in Israel in which cities are more pleasant to walk around and walk – there are more trees and shadows and in which streets are warmer and have a small percentage of shadows. In January 2022, the government’s decision was made to promote the issue of urban afforestation and scenic space as part of dealing with the climate crisis by promoting the issue among local authorities through urban afforestation, understanding that trees are an important infrastructure to deal with heat islands in the streets, encouraging tree planting among residents and more.
The map maps the streets in Israel which are divided into 4 colors
Red – with a percentage of shading between 0-5 percent
Orange with a percentage of shading between 6-15 percent
Yellow with a percentage of shading between 16-25 percent
Greenish with a percentage of shading between 26-50 percent
Green with a percentage of shading between 51-100 percent
When you look at Rishon Lezion the dominant color is orange and yellow and a small number of streets with over 50 percent shading. Among the red streets you can find Herzl, Moshe Dayan, Nim St. and more. On the other side of the streets where it’s most pleasant to walk: Hortem, Harfs, Yoane Jabotinsky
The mapping of Rishon LeZion
https://www.govmap.gov.il/sites/Tree1022.html#
Cluster of red streets – streets with a low shading percentage (between 0-5%)
Moshe Dayan with 1.75 percent shading
Herzl 4.7 with shading percentage
Yitzhak Rabin with 4.78 percent shading
Nim Boulevard with 2.40 percent shading
Chazon Ish with 2.03 percent shading
Kiryat Sefer with 3.09 percent shading
Kissinger Henry with 1.91 percent shading
Koresh with 4.78 percent shading
The Maccabees with 4.31 percent shading
Jeremiah with 2.98 percent shading
Khatriya with 4.61 percent shading
Zionism with 3.60 percent shading
The cluster of green streets
Kozi Yosef with 71.39 percent shading
Wolf 55.10 percent shading
David the Secretary 50.90 percent shading
Hebron with 59.14 percent shading
Yoan Jabotinsky 72.98 percent shading
Hortem 50.79 percent shading
The carp with 57.03 percent shading
Lion’s maw 56.91 percent shading
It should be noted that the Ministry of Environmental Quality announced last January that the Rishon Lezion Municipality is one of the authorities that will provide support in the amount of approximately NIS 32 million, for the development of plans to prepare for the climate crisis and to shade the public space. As part of these supports, the office operates in two major programs: preparation of preparation plans for the authorities, and implementation of shading and cooling of the urban space. The extent of the support that is transferred to the local authorities: NIS 10.5 million – to prepare plans for preparing for climate change; NIS 6.3 million to prepare urban plans for urban forestry; and NIS 15 million for running programs (pilots) in the authorities to plant trees in selected streets in the authorities.
NIS 10.5 million for the preparation of preparedness plans in the local authorities: as part of a call for preparation of plans for climate change preparation, the ministry provided support to 39 local authorities in the amount of approximately NIS 10.5 million, of which NIS 7.5 million is intended for the Arab community as part of the “Environmental Progress” program promoted by the ministry.
As part of this support, 39 authorities will receive support for preparing the plans, including Rishon Lezion. The climate change preparedness plans of the local authorities, which will be written with the professional accompaniment and assistance of the Ministry, are in accordance with Government Resolution 4079 which requires policy measures to be taken that will reduce the health, environmental and economic risk as a result of the expected and existing changes from the climate crisis.
The office will support and accompany professional work in the preparation of urban plans for urban forestry to the extent of NIS 6.3 million, for eighteen local authorities including Rishon LeZion.
NIS 15 million to carry out pilots for operational shadowing operations: the ministry transferred commitments to 14 authorities including Rishon LeZion. As part of the running plans, trees will be planted in selected streets in the authorities, the necessary growing infrastructure will be constructed and existing trees will be preserved, accompanied by the Israeli Green Building Council. Among the pilots, you can find the Railway Square in Be’er Sheva, Obeh Yisrael Street in Beitar Illit, Ahi Eilat Street in Kiryat Haim in Haifa, Sderot HaTamir in Eilat, Shenkar Street in Herzliya and Moti Kind Street in Rehovot.
