Imagine New York's Central Park in Tel Aviv. Now imagine a park more than twice as large. This is the environmental victory achieved last November 2004 with the unanimous approval of Ayalon Park plan by the National Planning Council, thanks to the efforts of SPNI's Tel-Aviv branch, along with a wide coalition of non-profit groups and the community.

The park will be built on what was central Israel's largest landfill, Hiriya, and adjacent agricultural lands. Park Ayalon will become the major green space for the entire Tel Aviv region, a green lung that Tel Aviv desperately needs as Tel Aviv's air pollution fatalities climb annually. The park represents long overdue compensation to local residents for years of suffering a landfill in their backyard, and will strengthen awareness of environmental issues.

The Ayalon Park will be contiguous with other existing green areas and will present a vast expanse of natural scenery - woods, fields, rivers and lakes, in addition to the excavated archaeological site of Talmudic Benei Brak town. A visitors' center is to be built, along with a recycling park, which will use waste from the Dan region to produce energy, purified water, compost and even garden furniture. Development of the park has already begun, with over 10 kilometers of bike paths open to the public.

Future plans include:

•  Renovating an existing building on the premises to serve as an urban nature center for eco-education in Tel Aviv, creating a natural oasis in the heart of the dense metropolis.

•  Ensuring that the park is integrated into local community life through continued outreach and educational activities for all ages.

•  Planting a Tree Belt, representing Israel's heritage through all-native trees, along the river and the park. These trees will eventually define park borders and entrances.

For more information about SPNI-Tel Aviv campaigns please
visit http://www.teva-tlv.org/