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So I'm the first one here who will speak about the metropolis and not the city.
I think it's time to speak of a metropolis-oriented thinking
and not only a thinking which plans, sees the city as a city only.
I'm from the Green Belt association
and I'm here to speak about the Green Belt project we are advancing in the past 3 years.
The Green Belt project works towards connecting the parks, the green lungs,
existing in the Dan region today, the Yarkon park in the north,
the National park in Ramat-Gan in the south,
the entire coastline in the west
and the Ben Gurion axis passing through Ramat-Gan, Givatayim and Bnei Brak in the east
which is the most challenging one for us.
The belt should provide all those living in the metropolis day travel
with environmentally friendly transporation facilities
and lead to the development of local commerce, which I'll mention later.
I live in the Ramat Gan part of the belt, I came from abroad, I'm not from Tel Aviv.
So I tried getting here by bicycle.
Cycling from Ramat Gan leads one to several existential dillemas
One, if I cycle via Haroeh street, I have to decide if I want to
risk my life on the road or the life of the elderly on the sidewalk.
The Ben Gurion axis leads to question of experiencing
the desolation of the northern part
These routes are not only in Ramat Gan, they are able to show
many streets in our metropolis.
These streets are alienated to the pedestrians, they create no living experience,
except for car drivers, they don't create a positive urban experience
for someone who decide to walk or ride a bicycle
and its very difficult being a non-driver in the city.
So we couldn't really get here with our bicycles
but with the Green Belt that would have been possible.
The Green Belt is a vision for all the metropolis' inhabitants.
There are belts in the UK, in Sao Paolo, in Hannover, in Sidney,
in many place around the world.
The Belt has great potential in terms of culture, leisure and free time.
Experience in the world has shown that they become a focal point.
A central point of cities,
they had their own evolution and very quickly these places developed
a wonderful urban culture: cafes, small shops,
inviting urban centers.
The development of nice culture,
of pluralism, a health and thriving social fabric.
When we set up the Green Belt, we thought that
people living in the metropolis deserve more.
The municipalities welcome us,
and I'm glad to see Meital Lehavi who is here tonight
who was the pole-bearer on this issue
and adopted the project of the Green Belt
in the beginning and helped us get it very very far.
So all the municipalities in the metropolitan area,
and the region committee in the Ministry of Interior, and the Forum 15
are advancing today after the long journey we went with Meital
on the Green Belt, and we also call on the public to help us
and give this project their support
so we can do it together with you.