> City and regional planning in drylands

> Urban design and sustainability

> History and theory of urban form

> Neighborhoods in urban theory and urban design

> Streets and street design guidelines

Current Research projects:

1. Planning and Environmental Conditions in the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev – This is an ongoing project looking at the settlement structure of these villages and examining their development process, their environmental and ecological impact and examining scenarios for their future. At present the research is carried out with my Ph.D student Yaara Rosner-Manor and my MA student from Porter School of Environmental Studies at TAU – Noah Tal. Both have won fellowships that support their research, and I have submitted an ISF proposal to continue the research next year. Expected completion: 2018.

2. The Social Impact of the IDF base transfer to the Northern Negev – Project carried out with: Alfasi, N., Bar-Gera H., Vaturi A. & Schmidt J. The project examines the planning, transportation, urban and social impacts of the government decision to transfer many IDF bases from the center to the Negev. Ionatan Irijimovich, supervised jointly with Dr. Alfasi is working on his MA thesis within the framework of this research. Expected completion: 2017.

3. Neighborhood Planning, Urban Form and Social Life – This project is a continuous theme of my research over the years. At present it is carried out by Noa Ruf, from the Geography Department at BGU, which has just completed her Master’s thesis, and by a Rina Magen, completing her Master’s thesis at the Porter School of ES.

Publications:

> Kaplan I., Rofè Y. and Tal A. (2016) “Community gardens in Israel: Characteristics and perceived functions”, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 17 (1), 148-157 (IF 2.109, 8/65 Q1 – ISI; h5 26 – GS).

> Rosner-Manor, Y., Rofè Y. (2016). “Combining Systems A and B: Creating a Pattern Language for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev, Israel.” Designing Lively Scenarios in Various Fields, Pursuit of Pattern Languages for Societal Change (PURPLSOC) Conference Proceedings, Danube University, Krems, Austria, 3-5 July 2015. 326-353.

> Porta, S., Rofè Y., Vidoli, M. (2016). “The Production of Cities: Christopher Alexander and the Problem of System A at Large Scale.” In: Baumgrtner P., Gruber-Muecke T., Sicklinger R., (Eds.), Designing Lively Scenarios in Various Fields, Pursuit of Pattern Languages for Societal Change (PURPLSOC) Conference Proceedings, Danube University, Krems, Austria, 3-5 July 2015. 296-325.

> Porta S., Rofè Y., Vidoli, M. (2016) “The City and the Grid: Building Beauty at Large Scale.” In C. Alexander with Mehaffy M.W. (Ed.), A city is not a tree: 50th anniversary edition, Sustasis Press in association with Center for Environmental Structure. 153-170.

> Omer, I., Rofè Y., Lerman Y. and Cohen Y. (2016) "מודל לחיזוי נפח הולכי הרגל במרחב העירוני", אופקים בגאוגרפיה. 89, 38-60. ("Prediction Model for Pedestrian Movement in Urban Space in Israel”, Horizons in Geography. 89, 38-60).

> Rofè Y., Yerushalmi G., Margalit, M. and Windsor, A. (2015) “Case Study 2: High Streets and the Pedestrian Realm.” in: Vaughn, L. ed. Suburban Urbanities: Suburbs and the Life of the High Street, London: UCL Press. 223-236.

> Pontikis, K., Rofè Y. (Eds.) (2016). In Pursuit of a Living Architecture: Towards a building culture of humane and sustainable environments. Champaign, IL: Common Ground Publishing.

> Jacobs, A., E. Macdonald and Y. Rofè, (2002) The Boulevard Book: History, Evolution, Future of Multi-Way Boulevards, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. 257 pages. (in print, 137 citations in Google Scholar).

Ph.D. (1997) in City and Regional Planning - University of California, Berkeley.

> The Sustainable City
> Analysis of Urban Spaces
> The Nature of Order - The Phenomenon of Life: an interdisciplinary seminar
> Analysis of Settlement Patterns in the Negev - a research seminar
> Introduction to Urban Design
> Urban Design Studio
> Theory and Methods of Participatory Planning

Graduate Students:

> Rina Magen, M.A (2016) Porter School of Environmental Studies, TAU. Topic: The influence of urban spatial and functional structure on pedestrian movement patterns and neighborhood social ties.

> Keren Shalev, M.A (2016) AKIS, BGU, Topic: Evolution of rural settlement in the Negev - A typological analysis.

> Noah Tal, M.A (2016) Porter School of Environmental Studies, TAU. Topic: Environmental evaluation of Bedouin unrecognized settlement and new towns (Supervised with Avital Gasith and Oded Potcher).

> Isaac Dima Axen, M.A (2017) Department of Geography and Environmental Development, BGU. Topic: The spatial structure of Jewish towns in Eastern Europe.

> Alexandru Nuremberg, M.A (2017) Department of Geography and Environmental Development, BGU. Topic: Implementation of Transit Oriented Devlopment Principles: Beer-Sheva Train Stations as Case Studies.

> Ionatan Irijimovich, M.A (2017) Department of Geography and Environmental Development, BGU. Topic: The spatial-social impact of the transfer of IDF bases to the Negev.

> Y. Rosner-Manor, Ph.D. (2019) AKIS, BGU, Topic: Can we develop informal places without destroying the unique and delicate qualities of the unplanned.

> Keren Shalev, Ph.D. (2020) AKIS, BGU, Topic: Spatial Structure and Social Life in Extension Neighborhoods on Rural Settlements in Israel