The Center for Local Sustainability
In 2006, The Heschel Center brought the concept and practices of local sustainability to Israel by establishing the Center for Local Sustainability. Since then the Center has been a key agent promoting sustainability in local Israeli authorities. Working at the forefront of knowledge on local and urban sustainability, the Center works directly with municipalities and regional councils in Israel by means of policy making, capacity building and networking as well as integrating innovative models drawn from best practices in Israel and abroad.
Building capacity for change
The Center for Local Sustainability proposes to instigate large-scale capacity building in local governments in Israel by:
- Recruiting, training and networking advocates, municipal professionals and mayors, to engage a critical mass of local governments in sustainable development.
- Developing state-of-the-art tools for local sustainability in municipal planning, management and legislation.
- Creating a support network by linking Israeli Sustainable Development initiatives and connecting them to similar initiatives in other countries.
Read more:
The 8th Sustainability and Community Conference (2024)
Municipal Recovery and Renewal in Times of War and Crisis Joining forces and networking to build strength against the significant
What Morning Traffic and the Floods in Germany Have in Common
By Ran Raviv (Published in the Times of Israel (Hebrew), July 25, 2021) This was a tough week for the
The City of Rishon Le’Zion Takes an Important Step towards Sustainability
In the last few months, Heschel Center’s Local Sustainability Director Ran Raviv conducted the directors’ training in the city of
The 4th Sustainability and Community Conference Unites Participants Amidst COVID
This is the fourth year the Heschel Center co-hosted the Sustainability and Community Conference. This year, like seemingly everything else,
Of Bicycles and Urban Life
Or What Can We Learn From the Netherlands? By Ran Raviv The most recent bicycle accident in Tel Aviv succeeded
The 3rd Conference on Sustainability and Community
On June 13th, we held our 3rd Annual Conference on Sustainability and Community, at the Clal Building in downtown Jerusalem,
Ramat Gan’s Sustainability Training Program Ends, Marking A New Beginning for Sustainable Practices
By Ran Raviv, Heschel Staff Do city clerks and managers need to be able to dream? Do directors of the
Haifa takes first step towards sustainability
Haifa is home to many religious communities, housing Muslim and Christian populations in addition to various denominations of Judaism which
A sustainable neighborhood – a model for partnership and collaboration
Energy saving lighting, bicycle lanes, green construction and many other sustainable projects were installed in Bizaron-Ramat Israel, the first sustainable
A Local Sustainability Center is a Force for Change in Jerusalem
When the science department at a local high school in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo decided to build an ecological
2nd Sustainability and Community Conference Focuses on Strengthening Democracy in the Urban Space
On March 6, 250 representatives from local municipalities, social entrepreneurs, community leaders, business executives, and academics participated in the Heschel
From Community to Regional Impact in the Negev
An interview with Esther Akiva, a member of the Heschel Center’s managing board and an Alumna of the Network of
Netivot – A Local Sustainability Center Success Story
Esther Akiva is an orthodox mother of 5 originally from Brooklyn, New York. Three years ago she and her family
The 1st Sustainability and Community Conference
Despite the rain and the traffic, 170 participants and over 40 speakers gathered at the Hansen House in Jerusalem on
