Regional Settlement Patterns & Ecological Gradients The region surrounding Kiryat Gat is full of many settlement types. The settlement area of the nearby kibbutzim, moshavim, and villages covers more space than the municipality of Kiryat Gat. In fact, if all the settlement areas are aggregated (including Kiryat Gat), they make up a metropolitan size slightly larger than Be’er Sheva. The settlement patterns are very much determined by ecological gradients across the region, as well as proximity to other municipalities. A major band of small-scale settlements lies at the midway line between Kiryat Gat to the East and Ashkelon with Sderot to the West. This band lies in a relatively low topography and is in close proximity to green open space and the larger hydrological systems—probably making this land more amenable to agricultural uses.
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NEXCITY: Refigured Urbanism for the 21st Century
There is also significant variation in the morphologies of the small settlements. The small settlements follow two general patterns: one which centers around an interior core and one which is linear, following small and medium scale road networks. The settlement formations provide potential patterns for the infill and expansion developments in Kiryat Gat. Perhaps the external settlements may be guides for the regeneration within the core of Kiryat Gat as well as the urban design of the expansion to the North. Finally, Kiryat Gat could employ strategies to re-image itself as the hub for a larger, regional settlement zone. By bolstering the city’s position as the cultural and economic heart of the region, a larger community of stakeholders would have a stake in the city’s future development.