Israel (Lulik) Kimhi

Urban planner, senior researcher, and head of Jerusalem research at the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research. He began working at the Institute in 1981 after serving as a member of the Jerusalem master plan team between 1964–1972 and as the director of the Policy Planning Department of the Jerusalem Municipality from 1974 to 1986. Israel was a lecturer in The Hebrew University at the Department of Geography and the Institute of Urban Studies, from 1965 to 2015.

As a member of the Institute, Israel has written and edited numerous publications concerning the future and development of Jerusalem, and participated in many planning teams, including the 1968 master plan for Jerusalem, masterplans for education systems in various local municipalities throughout the country, the national masterplan for tourism, the master plan for the education system in East Jerusalem, the master plans for the welfare system in Jerusalem, the cultural institutions of the ultra-Orthodox community, the city’s libraries, and others. Israel led the planning team for the Jerusalem District Master Plan (TMM 1/30) and took part in the Old City planning team for the Jerusalem Development Authority and in the planning team of the Kidron Valley Basin.

His main projects in the Institute are as follows: tourism, site preservation, East Jerusalem neighborhoods, population forecasts for the years 2030-2040, planning the Kidron Valley Basin, coordinating the planning team for the Jerusalem metropolis, updating the list of sites for preservation in the northern neighborhoods (on behalf of the Jerusalem Municipality), and preparation of Jerusalem master plans on the following issues: education systems in East Jerusalem, welfare institutions, the city’s libraries, the cultural institutions of the ultra-Orthodox community.

In 2010 Israel received the Outstanding Citizen of Jerusalem Award (Yakir Yerushalaim).