Disorder by design: chaos in urban transformation within ultra-orthodox neighbourhoods

Shlomit Flint Ashery and Nurit Stadler

Housing Studies, 2025, vol. 40, issue 11, 2481-2506

Abstract: This paper employs a critical theoretical framework to examine the emergence and perpetuation of chaos and disorder in urban spaces. Specifically, we examine the dynamics of chaos during urban transformations, focusing on how it manifests itself in the redevelopment of religious enclaves and its implications for the daily lives of urban residents in two Haredi neighbourhoods in Jerusalem. We have coined the term ‘constant urban chaos’ to characterize this space as both the source and the desired outcome. These spaces of chaos reveal how neighbourhoods are shaped by individual and collective initiatives to preserve the communal ways of life through spatial patterns. Our findings suggest that chaos serves a specific purpose in urban development, providing desirable patterns that sustain city intricacies and delicate networks. Using this mutually beneficial arrangement, the municipality and communities meet the housing needs of specific demographic groups characterized by high fertility rates and non-conventional housing needs while minimizing socio-spatial conflicts. In examining the intricate interplay between urban chaos, community dynamics, and municipal involvement, this study challenges conventional notions of disorder and highlights the strategic utilization of chaos for urban development.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2024.2408325

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