The government is reviving the plan to build Kasif, a new Haredi city, near Arad, as part of the program to approve new towns in Israel's periphery. One of the goals of the plan is to prevent Kiryat Gat from doubling its size and becoming a Haredi city – a process that is currently underway.
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The plan, developed jointly by Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked and Housing Minister Ze'ev Alkin, will probably be presented as part of the program for the construction of new towns.
Kasif is a Haredi city planned to be built on a territory of 4,750 dunams (1173 acres) near Tel Arad in the Negev Desert, with 10,000 housing units and a projected population of 50,000 Haredi residents. Since 2007, tens of millions of shekels have been invested in its construction; yet a year ago, it was Haredi minister Yaakov Litzman who decided to shelve it.
In parallel, a new Arab city is to be built, but to prevent political unrest, the government decided to expand the town of Jadeidi-Makr in the Western Galilee rather than construct an entirely new settlement. However, the expanded town will be considered a city. The large scope of state lands to be included in the plan will provide housing solutions for thousands of local families and young couples.
The plan, led by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, covers about 4,000 dunams and includes about 8,000 housing units of different types, among them small apartments and assisted living facilities, that will provide solutions for a diverse population and address the town's changing needs. A main urban boulevard to be built in the middle of the new residential compound will include commercial and office space topped by residential buildings up to 7 stories high. The plan also features residential construction on private lands that will gradually integrate the existing town with the new neighborhoods.
In addition to housing units, the plan includes a main urban center (MUC) with a city market and a new municipality building. The MUC will be located at the juncture between the old and new parts of the city, creating an urban meeting place that will serve all the city's residents. Public spaces will be built for the residents of the new neighborhoods, as well as spaces to be occupied by public facilities serving the entire region, such as a cultural center and an emergency services center.
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The plan also includes an industrial zone in the western part of the city, where local businesses can expand and new ones can be established to strengthen the city's economic resilience.
As part of the plan, the local council led a broad public engagement initiative. This allows the information collected during the early stages of the plan's development to become a planning product even before the plan is submitted while maintaining a high standard of planning quality.
The proposed plan includes state lands, meaning it also provides housing solutions for landless young couples.
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