2026 Reports

The City Garden Project – Tel Chubez Agricultural Farm and Lira Shapira within Tel Aviv-Yafo’s Climate Action Framework

Slakmon, Moran

Tel Aviv-Yafo's pioneering City Garden Project, is an award-winning initiative within its comprehensive Climate Action Plan, designed to build urban resilience against climate change impacts. Facing intensified heatwaves, urban overheating, and unpredictable weather, the city emphasizes integrated environmental, social, and economic solutions. The project encompasses the Tel Chubez Agricultural Farm and the innovative Lira Shapira green local currency. Tel Chubez transforms neglected urban land into a biodiverse farm, using permaculture and biodynamic farming to mitigate the urban heat island effect, improve stormwater management, and enhances food security by providing fresh, local produce. It directly contributes to Tel Aviv-Yafo's Nature-Based Solutions and waste reduction goals by composting organic waste. The Lira Shapira currency incentivizes residents to separate organic waste, which is then composted at the farm. This currency is redeemable at local businesses, fostering a circular economy, strengthening local economic resilience, and enhancing community circulation. The project heavily relies on robust community engagement, offering educational workshops and volunteer opportunities that build social capital and empower residents in sustainable practices. Key outcomes include enhanced environmental resilience, strengthened social networks, improved food access, boosted urban biodiversity, and sustainable local economic development. Supported by municipal investment, non-profit partnerships (Lira Shapira NGO), and extensive volunteer contributions, the project has garnered international recognition as a scalable and replicable model. It exemplifies how holistic urban planning and cross-sectoral collaboration can transform urban spaces into vibrant centers for sustainability and climate preparedness.

Keywords: community engagement; local currency; organic waste; urban farm