Integration of future users' evaluations into the process of urban revitalization

Abstract

The following paper presents a method for evaluation of the suitability of urban residential areas for different groups of future residents, considering worldwide tides of migration and problems encountered during the process of urban revitalization. This method can be applied: (1) as a quick and reliable tool for reaching, establishing, and examining decisions regarding allocation of land in general and particularly for residence; (2) as a means to evaluate an area's suitability for residence at the beginning of the planning process; (3) as a method for public participation in the planning process; (4) as a way of examining the significance of certain attributes of urban residence areas for different groups of future users. The topic of this research is derived from a real and contemporary problem: the problem of housing new immigrants and revitalization of the center of the city of Haifa, Israel. The application of the method consisted of a pilot study, which was carried out to examine attitudes among young and mobile populations toward deteriorating residential areas in the center of Haifa and its surroundings. The findings of the pilot study have not yet been corroborated by any additional research studies. This study has resulted in a physical map that describes the suitability of the examined environments for residence based on evaluation/preferences of the designated users. The map should allow planners to widen their basis for decision making beyond their personal knowledge and norms of the profession.