New Towns: Initial Physical Models, Their Evolution and Future Recommendations

This article examines the initial physical models of new towns. Its aim is to identify physical models for new towns that articulate Western planning concepts, to understand the transformations in the models and their causes and trace their development and future trajectory. Israel’s new towns have been selected as a case study for two main reasons: Israel continues to plan and construct new towns, and in doing so, draws on Western planning models and values. An examination of these models, and their transformations over time reveals that since the 1960s, two key motifs can be discerned: the grid model and the linear model. The study found that similar models may in fact reflect contradictory approaches to communality and individualism, coercion and free choice, although the general trend is one of transition from communality toward individualism. It was also found that the more rigid the plan—and thus perceived by planners as “more correct”—the more it fails, as the future is inherently unpredictable. Based on an analysis of these plans and the gaps between them and the facts on the ground, the article concludes by providing physical recommendations for the planning of new towns.