Israel’s Ministry of Construction and Housing has initiated a plan to establish a new urban district near the train station in the city of Sderot located just north of Gaza.
It was one of the cities attacked during the October 7 attack.
The plan includes 5,000 new housing units, including apartments for students, about 370,000 square meters for commerce and employment, about 350,000 square meters for public buildings and about 40 acres of open spaces.
The plan sees the complex surrounding the train station as a “central and significant focal point” in the region and strengthens it through the addition of residential, employment and commercial areas around the station.
Also, the plan emphasizes a high-quality public space with an active front to encourage walking and community activity along the main streets, and creates a new urban fabric connecting Sapir College to the south, to the train station to the north and an interchange addition at the main entrance to the city. This, along with the creation of high-quality city-wide open spaces such as the river park and other public areas with high accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, the program maintains existing forests in its area for the well-being of the residents.