Tel Aviv Tries to Connect an Isolated Neighborhood

The south Tel Aviv neighborhood of Neve Shaanan is known for many things: African migrants and asylum seekers; furniture stores, the notorious, cavernous Central Bus Station; prostitution and drugs. In Israel’s sleek “Start-Up City,” the neighborhood is fixed in the local consciousness as an undesirable destination, a contrast to the wealthy neighborhoods in the center and north of town.

Israel’s left-wing activists and NGOs have, since the beginning of the migrant influx a decade ago, seen the neighborhood as a testing ground for liberal values, providing shelter for those fleeing war and oppression in countries like Sudan and Eritrea. Thus, despite the relative poverty of the area, there are determined sprouts of urban renewal: In August of last year, the Tel Aviv municipality helped establish a tech accelerator, co-working space, and training center for the neighborhood, The Platform.