Amman, Jordan-(June 2007)-HE Mayor Omar Maani has announced the second phase of the Master Plan which deals with planning policies to guide development along the Citys major corridors. This announcement is linked to the first phase, which deflected high rise development away from the heavily traveled corridors, such as Zahran, into areas that can accommodate this growth.
In his announcement the Mayor stated that GAM will grow from 2.2 to 6.4 people by 2025 and that the City needs to be more strategic in how it directs this growth. One planning principle adopted is to intensify development along Ammans major corridors but in a manner that respects the character of the City. The Mayor stated, …we cant afford to continue our current development trend because it will lead to unprecedented urban sprawl that will exacerbate our transportation problems, eat up some of Jordans most productive agricultural lands and we will loose the limited forested areas we have within GAM – we need this open space for the health of our City, to serve as the lungs of our growing metropolitan area. Under the Corridor Intensification Strategy GAM will encourage a variety of densities, but within strict guidelines to ensure adequate transportation, urban design and other considerations, such as creating a pedestrian and green city, are adhered to.
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A major part of the Corridor Intensification Strategy is to transform the character of some of the Citys major corridors into streets that will define the city. An example is Zahran which, according to Mayor Maani, should …become our signature street, at present we re in danger of losing it to chaotic development. The plan is to promote the heritage and green character of Zahran from 1st to 5th circle. The height of development will be restricted to four stories with special programs to conserve the most prominent heritage buildings and working with land owners to accommodate adaptive uses that will bring life back to the street.
The segment of Zahran between 6th and 8th is envisioned for major revitalization, into a green boulevard lined with mixed use residential, commercial and retail development; it will complement the revitalization and pedestrianisation of Swiefieh. Much of the land along this corridor is vacant or underutilized. According to Mayor Maani,…the vision we have for Zahran between the 6th and 8th circle requires a partnership between GAM and the land owners to realize the full potential of this important street. We will provide the economic incentives through increased zoning density to make it happen and also provide the urban design expertise to ensure this corridor develops in an integrated way that we can be proud of.”
An important component of the Corridor Intensification Strategy is to improve public transit throughout the City. It is a corner stone of the Amman Master Plan in that the sustainable growth of Amman can not be accomplished without a modern transit system. However, at the present time this responsibility currently rests with Central Government and discussions are underway to delegate this responsibility to GAM. This is the norm in most major metropolitan areas around the world. To complement the proposed smart growth of the City, GAM has also introduced a policy to encourage mixed-use residential development along the corridors to reduce the traffic burden on the system and to increase the viability of transit along these routes. .-Continued-
Mayor Maani stated that …the concept of mixed use is not new to Amman; its what makes the old parts of the city so special. In many ways the wonderful street life of old Amman is what gives the city our soul
This we wish to replicate in a more contemporary form as has happened in many world cities, we will adapt international best practices to suit our unique circumstances.