Land-use and population density changes in Israel-1950 to 1990: Analysis of regional and local trends

Population density in Israel during the early 1990s reached one of the highest levels (545 persons/km²) in the Western World. This study aims at assessing relationships between population and developed area (built-up and infrastructure areas) growth between 1950 and 1990, based on data collected for 6 national level districts, as well as 6 local sites in the Mount Carmel area representing a region of high ecological significance. The main findings are: (1) Population densities in developed areas were much higher higher than those recorded for the total district area and exhibited a continuously decreasing trend; (2) an excess of more than 50% in the growth of built-up and infrastructure areas was observed relative to population increases; (3) population densities in government-owned lands (representing the majority of the lands) were significantly lower than population densities found in lands owned by the private sector; and (4) trends of developed area growth in the Mount Carmel region were similar to those observed at the national level, despite the high ecological sensitivity of this region.