As part of the global Urban95 initiative, Tel Aviv-Jaffa was selected by the Van Leer Foundation to be a “Lighthouse City” - one of several leading global cities in the program. After gaining a deeper understanding of the significance of this designation, we realized that our ultimate goal was to expand our impact beyond Tel Aviv-Jaffa. This involves sharing the knowledge and experience we have accumulated since the establishment of Urban95 Tel Aviv-Jaffa, in an effort to enhance the ways children develop, play, interact, and move within the urban environment.
The Study Tour as a Learning Tool
The decision to incorporate a study tour was driven by the recognition that it provides an inspiring and effective way to promote learning, research, peer interactions, and mutual knowledge sharing. Over the course of three days, the tour takes participants behind the scenes of the Urban95 initiative in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, offering an in-depth look at its operations and impact. It explores the different motivations, actions, processes, and challenges involved, with the goal of inspiring each municipality to take action in the field of early childhood in a way that suits its unique characteristics. The structure of the tour is designed to provide a variety of learning formats (plenary sessions, professional groups, municipal teams) through a dynamic methodology that includes lectures, field visits, practical workshops, and diverse professional meetings. For the pilot program, five municipalities were selected to participate after a comprehensive selection process.
Diversity within the Municipal Teams - “It Takes a City to Raise a Child”
Guided by our holistic view of responsibility and the importance of collaboration among various municipal stakeholders to achieve high-quality outcomes, each participating municipality was required to assemble a team of five managers from different fields (e.g. engineering, architecture, beautification, maintenance, education, community, social integration, communications, finance, etc.) to take part in the study tour.
A Toolbox in the Palm of Your Hand
Beyond broadening perspectives and providing inspiration, a key focus of the tour was to introduce participants to essential principles for working with young children and their caregivers, as well as urban collaboration frameworks. The tour also offered professional insights, drawing on the extensive experience of local experts in Tel Aviv-Jaffa and the rich variety of projects implemented in the city. Throughout the tour, practical discussions took place within the municipal teams, focusing on how to apply the principles, plans, and ideas encountered during the tour, tailoring them to fit the unique characteristics of each municipality.
Key Themes:
Parterning municipal units:
The Community, Culture, and Sports Administration; the City Architect; the Education Administration; the City Beautification Department; Mishlama Jaffa; the Strategic Planning Unit; the City Spokesperson’s Office; the Digitaf Team; the Transportation, Traffic, and Parking Authority.
