The Geddes Plan

& By Leaves We Live Project

 

The Geddes Plan (1927–1929) — the first master plan of the city of Tel Aviv, designed by Scottish biologist and urban planner Sir Patrick Geddes — is what gives the City Center and the Old North the intrinsically special character known to visitors and residents of the city.

 

One of the most prominent features of the Geddes Plan is the weight it gives to the green areas; Tel Aviv as a Garden City where every building is surrounded by a small garden (unlike the long blocks that line the streets of European and American cities), a city with green boulevards and small public gardens designed for its residents. The Garden City by the Mediterranean gained an international appreciation and is a key element in UNESCO's declaration of Tel Aviv as a World Heritage Site.

 

In recognition of the significance of Geddes' master plan and its impact on the unique character of Tel Aviv, we present to the public the original Geddes report, submitted to the Tel Aviv municipality in 1929.

 

The report is now available as part of By Leaves We Live, a multidisciplinary project of the White City Center and A N + Architects, based on Geddes' work. The book we published includes the original report, as well as essays on garden architecture in general and the Garden City of Tel Aviv in particular, short stories that take place within its gardens, urban nature photography, short catalog of plants, and drawings. You can download a PDF version of the book , purchase a printed copy, and read a scan of the Geddes report translated to Hebrew.

 

The book was launched a few months ago at the Venice Biennale of Architecture and was accompanied by an exhibition featuring an integrated architectural model and AR technology. The exhibition was created by A N + Architects together with the Microsoft Garage Israel - R&D Center team led by Guy Shalev and Ida Vash.

 

Editors: Rachel Gottesman, Avital Gourary, and Natanel Elfassy

Short Stories: Rachel Gottesman

Articles: Jeremie Hoffmann, Julia Lennov, Natanel Elfassy

Photos: Aviad Bar-Ness

Plant samples: Ido Ginat and the Bezalel Department of Architecture

Drawings: A N +

Design: Janek Yontef