Three developments influenced changes in the City's appearance during the Mandate period:

  • A strong earthquake that struck the country in 1927 caused 45 houses to collapse and completely destroyed the rest of the buildings, which had been cracked or partially destroyed in the 1911 earthquake. Because of the earthquake, some of the residents were forced to build new homes outside the Old City.
     
  • The increase in the number of residents led to the expansion of residential neighborhoods and the establishment of new shops and factories. These were built mainly to the west of the old city center.
     
  • A special neighborhood was built for British personnel and their families who were involved in the operation of the large railway station in Lod. All of this led to accelerated construction in the city.

From: Vakar, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Lod Municipality - Cherikover.

The Eastern Quarter suffered severe damage during the earthquake. Seventeen residents were killed and 70 were injured. The Quarter had to be rebuilt. The dilapidated mud houses were replaced with sturdy stone houses, some of them two stories high. The minaret of the Mosque was also damaged in the earthquake. The collapsed section was rebuilt. Due to the speed of the renovation, the minaret was built of concrete rather than stone as it had been previously. Understandably, not all of the partially destroyed buildings were restored. Much of the neighborhood remained half-ruined until it was completely demolished in the late 1950s. It should be noted that even during the Mandate period, crafts and small industries were concentrated in this part of the city. The shops adjacent to the Mosque continued to attract shoppers, but the number of shoppers was smaller than in the past, as new shops with a more varied selection opened in the Western Quarter, which was built during this period.

From: Vakrat, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Municipality of Lod - Cherikover.

The Western Quarter - In this Quarter, whose construction began at the end of the Ottoman period, large, spacious stone houses were built, unlike the buildings that characterized the Eastern Quarter. These houses had one or two floors and usually had spacious inner courtyards enclosed by high walls. The quarter was built in a planned manner; the streets were wide and spacious compared to the curved and narrow streets of the old quarter. A characteristic innovation of the Mandate period was the paving of the streets and some of the paths with asphalt. Tree-lined avenues were planted along the roads, adding a decorative touch. New shops opened along the main traffic arteries.

From: Vakar, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Lod Municipality - Cherikover.

The Railway Neighborhood - The neighborhood was built after the site was chosen for the largest railway station in the Land of Israel during the British Mandate period. Initially, the British built shacks for the families of workers employed at the station. In 1941, the shacks were replaced by more attractive stone houses. The new neighborhood was divided into two parts: one part was built northwest of the train station and included a residential neighborhood in a distinct English style. The houses were one-story with red tile roofs. Chimneys rose above the roofs. Each house was surrounded by a well-kept garden in the British tradition.

In addition to the families of British workers, several Jewish families (the Gertner and Belkind families, for example) and one mixed family (Jewish and Christian) – the Zaki Katz family – also lived in the neighborhood. Social life in the neighborhood centered on the local café, a club that was established there, and the tennis court. It should be noted that access to these public institutions was restricted to British residents only. This was the only part of Lod that had electric lighting. It was supplied to homes and streets by a local generator, which had been operating since the beginning of the Mandate at the train station. The other part of the neighborhood consisted of shops and a small hotel (see photos). The planners envisioned this part of the neighborhood as a future national business center, and perhaps even an international business center. The planners believed that this would be the case because the train station in Lod connected Egypt (via Qantara) with Beirut (via Rosh Hanikra), Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, and everyone believed that the large number of passengers would bring about a very lively shopping scene. The hopes that the planners had pinned on the development of the commercial center were not fulfilled. The place continued to serve as a neighborhood center, with additional buildings constructed around it. The migration of villagers and other residents to Lod brought many new residents to the neighborhood, many of whom worked on the railroad or in the Damesh orchards. The connection between this neighborhood and the rest of the city was weak due to the lack of paved access roads. Only during World War II was the train station connected to Lod by an asphalt road. Until then, residents made their way to the city center on dirt paths that wound through reeds and weeds.

From: Vakar, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Lod Municipality - Chrikover.