Innovation in Motion: Soroka Medical Center Earns Top 2025 Urban Planning Prize

BE'ER SHEVA, ISRAEL, May 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The borders of municipal hospitals are often marked by perimeter fences designed to ensure safety and control for patients and staff. Yet these boundaries also physically and symbolically separate hospitals from the urban fabric that surrounds them.

Taking bold steps to reimagine this threshold, Soroka Medical Center has been awarded the 2025 Outstanding Urban Planning Project in the Creativity and Innovation category by the Israel Planners Association

“This plan for Soroka’s Western complex marks a major milestone in our future,” said Yarden Nevo, Associate Director General of Soroka. “It offers a clear roadmap for strategic growth while preserving our essential bond with the city—enabled by a breathable boundary that integrates Soroka even more deeply into the urban fabric.”

A member of Clalit Health Services and a Level-1 trauma center, Soroka serves over one million residents across the Negev region. Located in the heart of Beer Sheva, it is not only a cornerstone of health in southern Israel, it is also a vital urban catalyst, a strategic national asset, and one of the city's most powerful engines of growth. Soroka is widely regarded as Israel’s “Iron Dome” of health, a role underscored during the tragic events of October 7, 2023, and the Iron Swords War.

The award-winning Western Complex project transforms the traditional boundary into an active urban edge along Rager Boulevard, where a future light rail is planned. The plan enables Soroka to expand its infrastructure by 165,000 square meters, including full-length underground parking, while enhancing connectivity and sustainability.

More than an architectural achievement, the Western Complex redefines Soroka’s relationship with its environment and its people. By introducing commercial frontages, public plazas, green infrastructure, and improved access for pedestrians and public transit, the project fosters a more inclusive and accessible hospital campus.

Community integration lies at the heart of this vision. A hospital isn’t just a treatment center—it’s a place where people are born, healed, and supported during life’s most vulnerable moments. By opening its edges to the city, Soroka reinforces its identity as a community institution, deeply woven into the social, emotional, and civic life of Beer Sheva.

This integration also enhances resilience. In times of crisis, urban hospitals must scale and respond rapidly. Strengthening Soroka’s ties to surrounding neighborhoods and transportation networks ensures it remains agile and responsive when it matters most.

The project was developed by Orit Willenberg, Keren Jedwab, and Hadas Even Tzur of Oka Architects, in collaboration with Maya Davidson Project Management, KSM West End Group & Environmental Designers, Nathan Tomer Engineering, ESD – Environmental Sustainable Development, Palgey Maim Ltd., Clalit’s Construction Division, the Municipality of Beer Sheva, and Soroka Medical Center.

This national recognition highlights Soroka’s continued leadership, not only in clinical excellence, but in shaping the future of healthcare as an integrated, human-centered, and innovative force within Israel’s evolving urban landscape. Indeed, with Soroka setting new records for births each year, it’s no overstatement to say that the future of Israel is born at Soroka.

Soroka Medical Center: An Indispensable Resource in the Heart of the Negev
Since October 7, 2023, Soroka Medical Center has been at the forefront of providing critical care, treating over 4,000 casualties, many in life-threatening conditions. From the very first hours following the terror attacks, Soroka’s medical teams responded with unwavering dedication and unmatched expertise. Beyond this, Soroka continues to serve the everyday health needs of the Negev region’s population, which is expected to double in the next thirty years. As Israel’s busiest hospital, Soroka handles an immense volume of patients annually: 700,000 outpatient visits, 88,000 inpatient admissions, 35,000 surgeries, 17,000 births, and 287,000 emergency room visits. Our doctors, nurses, and staff work tirelessly under the most harrowing conditions to save lives, treat victims of violence, and support the mental health of patients in their most vulnerable moments. In response to rapid growth and an ever-increasing demand for healthcare services, Soroka is investing in advanced treatments, cutting-edge research, technology, and equipment to meet the needs of an expanding population. Soroka is home to The Legacy Heritage Oncology Institute and Dr. Larry Norton Institute and the Dr. Joel Sheinfeld Urology Institute.

American Friends of Soroka Medical Center Inc.
American Friends of Soroka Medical Center Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New York, composed of a dedicated community of individuals, families, foundations, and businesses. AFS is committed to supporting the lifesaving vision and work of Soroka Medical Center, ensuring that the hospital can continue to provide world-class care to the people of Israel, now and in the future. Soroka.org

Rahel Shamailova
American Friends of Soroka Medical Center
+1 914-725-9070
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