Ambitious new urban complex over Jerusalem highway given green light

Jerusalem is planning to build a new urban complex over the Begin Highway in one of the city’s most ambitious construction projects to date.

The Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee says it has approved plans for the “Begin Rooftop,” a 214-dunam (53-acre) urban park that will include 2,210 housing units, five 45-story towers, and 64 dunams of open public spaces.

The plan will create a land bridge connecting Beit Hakerem and Givat Ram, making it easy to walk between the two neighborhoods for the first time. The complex will also integrate public transportation, bicycle paths, and pedestrian walkways to reduce congestion and promote sustainable mobility, the municipality says.

The planned area includes a 45-story building that will serve as a hotel and shopping space, along with four other 45-story residential and commercial buildings. Another seven residential buildings of 6 to 15 floors are planned, along with 55 dunams for public buildings and institutions.

Some 30% of the complex, or 64 dunams, will be allotted for open public space, the municipality says.

“The Begin Rooftop plan is a spectacular and innovative project that is unparalleled in the country,” says Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion. “This is a project that expresses the city’s vision, spirit, and future.”