Haifa (pop. 330,000) is a major Port city in Israel which, surprisingly, does not offer any public access to the sea. The Western Port, all along Haifa’s downtown, built in 1933 by the British Mandate, is no longer active, its narrow wharves are deserted. In 2017 our National Masterplan #13-3-A, aiming to transform this 70-hectare area into a new, vivid, civic place, was approved.

Since 2024, we have been updating the masterplan, commissioned by the new Port owners: the global Adani Group and Gadot Bio-Chemical Industries and Haifa Port Co. determined to execute the plan and even further enhance it with more intensive uses and activities, including a Marina.

A 2.5 km promenade will stretch along the water edge with new proposed buildings for mixed-use, academy, research and Tech as well as leisure, new Cruise Terminal, commercial and more. A tighter fabric of pedestrian streets will connect the promenade with the adjoining urban area, enabling to develop also a strip of 1500 residential units along the future relocated train tracks. The proposed architectural design is derived from the Port industrial heritage: Hanger-like structures with jagged roofs used for PV panels.

The urban gateway to the waterfront will be at the foot of UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Bahai Garden axis and Haifa German Colony, just above the port.