TAMA 38

TAMA 38 (Hebrew: תמ"א 38 — Tochnit Metar Artzit 38, "National Outline Plan 38") is the Israeli urban-planning regulatory framework historically operating as the principal seismic-reinforcement-driven urban-renewal mechanism for older Israeli residential buildings.

Adopted in 2005, TAMA 38 created a structured mechanism through which older residential buildings (typically pre-1980 construction predating modern Israeli seismic codes) could be seismically reinforced — and frequently materially expanded — through development arrangements that gave existing residents reinforced and modernized residences in exchange for additional residential units allocated to the developer.

TAMA 38 operated in two principal variants:

TAMA 38/1 — seismic reinforcement of existing buildings with addition of new floors and rear extensions TAMA 38/2 — full demolition and reconstruction of existing buildings at substantially higher density

The framework operated as one of the major drivers of Israeli urban-residential redevelopment activity through the 2010s and into the 2020s, particularly in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, and adjacent dense urban areas.

In 2022, the Israeli government announced the structured wind-down of TAMA 38, with replacement frameworks (primarily through municipal pinui-binui and adjacent urban-renewal arrangements) succeeding the TAMA 38 architecture for future activity. Pre-existing TAMA 38 projects continued through their established approval pipelines.

For UHNW buyers acquiring older residential units in central Tel Aviv and adjacent urban areas, evaluation of the TAMA 38 redevelopment status of the relevant building operates as a standard pre-acquisition due-diligence consideration.

See also: /glossary/pinui-binui/, /glossary/ila/, /real-estate/