Opening of the NUR (Negev Urban Research) Lab
Introducing NUR (Negev Urban Research), Israel’s first-of-its-kind urban research lab, unveiled by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Situated at the forefront of Beer-Sheva’s emerging innovation district, NUR joins the prestigious City Science Network, a global initiative led by MIT, linking ten cutting-edge labs around the world dedicated to reimagining urban living.
The lab, a collaboration between the City Science Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the School of Design and Architecture at Sami Shamoon College of Engineering, and numerous government ministries, focuses on providing solutions to urban and spatial issues through advanced technology.
Cities globally, and particularly those in Israel, face a complex array of challenges, including extreme climate, rapid population growth, multiculturalism, and resource scarcity. Increasingly, these cities, like Beer-Sheva, are situated in arid environments. To address the unique urban issues arising in these desert edge locations, the lab will foster multidisciplinary collaborations, developing innovative data-driven digital processes and tools.
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The lab was established as part of Government Decision 625, which focuses on the development of the Negev, and in collaboration with task forces from the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of the Negev and Galilee, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Construction and Housing, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Economic Council.
The lab is purposely located on Rager Boulevard, the main thoroughfare of Beer-Sheva, as one of its major goals is increasing citizen participation in planning.
NUR is a proud member of MIT’s global City Science Network, which spans ten cutting-edge labs across the globe—including Spain, Mexico, Chile, Germany, the USA, Canada, China, and Taiwan. Each lab addresses local challenges with far-reaching global implications. In Beer-Sheva and the South, NUR will embed experimental, applied technologies into critical urban planning processes. Additionally, the lab will spearhead pioneering research into climate-adaptive regional development within the Beer-Sheva metropolitan area, shaping the future of desert cities and sustainable living in arid regions.
“The Israeli landscape is fraught with challenges, some global such as the climate crisis, and others unique such as the demographic challenge,” said Architect Merav Idit Battat, head of the lab. “We have much to learn from other places in the world, and the world has much to learn from the Negev. During a difficult and complex time for Israel, together with all our partners, we have established a center aimed at planning for a better, more just, and sustainable future through multidisciplinary collaborative platforms and the development of innovative data-driven tools.”
The lab operates in the Negev region and throughout Israel, connecting academics, engineers, entrepreneurs, and designers with local authorities, government ministries, and communities to develop innovative data-based processes and tools through activities, workshops, conferences, and making data accessible to the public.
President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz: “The NUR lab is an implementation of the Ben-Gurion DNA and our vision: Collaboration with leading institutions worldwide, advancing the Negev, developing and using innovative tools for the benefit of all.”
