Social Trends in Regional Planning

Abstract

For nearly three years there has been in existence in Israel a very intensive Planning activity on the national, regional and local level simultaneously. Many development problems, urgent but different require efficient solutions, which have to be found in the shortest time. Normally it would take months or years to prepare the large schemes and proposals with which we are occupied. But owing to the great pressure there is generally no other way for us than to elaborate these schemes in the course of a few weeks only. So we do our best to use our knowledge of the country and its population and the experience gained in the field of Planning in other countries; we consult many institutions, offices, organizations and individual persons and often we have to rely on quick decisions and even improvisation. In the mean time the new immigrants arrive in tremendous numbers; they settle in all parts of the country; farms, villages, cities, industries and many public works are being constructed. A vast process of settlement is in process of realization, facts are being established, but only very seldom do we find time to consider our fundamental Planning attitude, the broader consequences emerging out of our quickly prepared schemes, the intrinsic ends we are aiming at, the human and social tendencies, which form the general background of our work.