Butterfly Boulevard in Tel-Aviv
2021 was a harsh year.
The Covid-19 Pandemic has brought a lot of loneliness to people, being locked up in houses for weeks on end due to quarantines and lockdowns. While people were locked indoors for long periods of time, whenever lockdowns were finished most people craved to go out to nature. This inspired the Butterfly Boulevard as an answer to this problem, bringing nature into the urban design.
The boulevard is inspired Biophilic Design which is the concept of increasing connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature and space. The purpose of this design is shortening the distance for people to nature, making it possible to have a urban nature reserve in our backyard.
The project has additional potential to have impact on the surrounding neighborhood branding it as a tourist attraction, both domestic and international. This rebranding of Nordau Boulevard can both improve the life of locals living in the vicinity as well as businesses which can benefit from the tourism it will create.
In a technical perspective, the project can be implemented in a few stages depending on funding:
Stage 1 – Planting local plants that will attract local butterflies as well as other complementing animals to the ecosystem. These plants are local Mediterranean plants that make them easy to grow and preserve the natural environment.
Stage 2 – Creating educational information points about the project. These points will both educate the public about the local plants, butterflies, animals and the importance of preserving nature in the city.
Stage 3 – Moth attracting light points. This stage will be about creating points for moths to group, making the boulevard a 24/7 attraction
The Butterfly (and Moth!) Boulevard aims to provide a cozy environment for the neighborhood in a post Covid-19 world, while still maintaining an educational aspect about the important connection between nature and urban fabric.
