[BS] The Old City Loop: A Light Rail Vision for Jerusalem’s Future episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 28, 2025 · 14 MIN

[BS] The Old City Loop: A Light Rail Vision for Jerusalem’s Future

from The Eighth · host Avraham Raskin

What if you could circle the entire Old City of Jerusalem - comfortably, accessibly, and beautifully? In this episode of Brainstreams, we explore a future-facing vision for a dedicated light rail line that loops around the Old City walls. From smart routing and grade calculations to archaeological sensitivity and pedestrian flow, this Brainstream dives deep into a generative design sprint born from both data and lived experience.TL;DR:A Jerusalem city loop light rail around all seven gates could transform access, beauty, and spiritual flow - this is the design pitch.We discuss multi-line integration (red, brown, yellow), how to preserve archaeology while opening new paths, grading challenges, and why a humble footpath + rail combo might be the most transformative layer Jerusalem’s had in decades.🎧 Listen now on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, or ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠→ More at ⁠avrahamraskin.com/podcast⁠Timestamps:00:00 | Intro: What is the Old City Loop?00:43 | Green space, walking path, and rail: the triple-ring vision01:58 | The gaps in Jerusalem’s current light rail access03:06 | Seven gates, one loop: walking through the plan05:01 | Grades, curvature, and optimal timing06:13 | Integrating with existing and future lines (Red, Yellow, Brown)07:30 | One-way loop + second-direction bus support09:23 | Accessibility at Shaar Tzion & other grading concerns10:00 | Park & Ride potential near Damascus and Dung Gates12:04 | New Gate tradeoffs & archaeological bridge ideas13:06 | Solving steep terrain with design sensitivity14:39 | Closing thoughts: Could this really happen?

What if you could circle the entire Old City of Jerusalem - comfortably, accessibly, and beautifully? In this episode of Brainstreams, we explore a future-facing vision for a dedicated light rail line that loops around the Old City walls. From smart routing and grade calculations to archaeological sensitivity and pedestrian flow, this Brainstream dives deep into a generative design sprint born from both data and lived experience.TL;DR:A Jerusalem city loop light rail around all seven gates could transform access, beauty, and spiritual flow - this is the design pitch.We discuss multi-line integration (red, brown, yellow), how to preserve archaeology while opening new paths, grading challenges, and why a humble footpath + rail combo might be the most transformative layer Jerusalem’s had in decades.🎧 Listen now on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, or ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠→ More at ⁠avrahamraskin.com/podcast⁠Timestamps:00:00 | Intro: What is the Old City Loop?00:43 | Green space, walking path, and rail: the triple-ring vision01:58 | The gaps in Jerusalem’s current light rail access03:06 | Seven gates, one loop: walking through the plan05:01 | Grades, curvature, and optimal timing06:13 | Integrating with existing and future lines (Red, Yellow, Brown)07:30 | One-way loop + second-direction bus support09:23 | Accessibility at Shaar Tzion & other grading concerns10:00 | Park & Ride potential near Damascus and Dung Gates12:04 | New Gate tradeoffs & archaeological bridge ideas13:06 | Solving steep terrain with design sensitivity14:39 | Closing thoughts: Could this really happen?

NOW PLAYING

[BS] The Old City Loop: A Light Rail Vision for Jerusalem’s Future

0:00 14:48

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Eighth?

This episode is 14 minutes long.

When was this The Eighth episode published?

This episode was published on August 28, 2025.

What is this episode about?

What if you could circle the entire Old City of Jerusalem - comfortably, accessibly, and beautifully? In this episode of Brainstreams, we explore a future-facing vision for a dedicated light rail line that loops around the Old City walls. From smart...

Can I download this The Eighth episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!