The City Deputy Manager for Economic Planning and Development, Engineer Ziad Rihani, stressed the interest and seriousness of Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) in the downtown development project through a non-stop and a long term process.
During the second consultative meeting, held to brief the commercial activities representatives and specialists from universities and the public and private sector on the outcomes of the first meeting and the action plan of the downtown development project, Rihani said: GAM started with the first stages of the project, and the beginning was the development project of Jabal Al Qalaa and the Hashemite Yard, which aimed at creating urbanized spaces, gardens and public facilities.
Executive Director of planning department in GAM, Engineer Samir Subhi, stated that GAM has a for-sighted vision for the downtown within inclusive and accurate studies that provide serious solutions, taking into consideration that such solutions shall be attractive and rich from social, economical and historical perspectives.
He indicated the importance of consultation and dialogue among GAM, the local community, and the main partners to achieve the goals of the Amman Metropolitan plan and GAMs projects.
Subhi said: We look forward to achieving a joint vision with the local community for the development process; a vision that contributes to bring the downtown to life again. He also referred to the participation of the local community and formation of a specialized committee to communicate and find development solutions.
He reviewed, before the participants, an integral study on the present status of the downtown, in addition to its future situation, clarifying that currently a study is being conducted for the architectural heritage of Amman city to take certain measures to conserve and improve it.
Eng. Subhi ascertained that the project will attract Amman community members from all walks of life towards the downtown; it will also contribute to the diversification of the commercial, residential and other activities, and eventually it will promote the downtown to be the main urban center of Amman city again.
The first consultative meeting set forth some questions in regard to the development plan to consider a feedback and suggestions in the development process.
The participants in the first meeting stressed the importance of keeping the same traditional shopping pattern, the historical identity, the urban content and heritage, and the memories and the spirit of the place, in addition to conserving the humane touches and social interaction.
They also requested handling the environmental and visual pollution, improving the traffic, allocating parking lots, solving the issues of the abandoned houses and the increase of empty spaces, bearing in mind the economical and commercial situation, the infrastructure, pedestrians pathways, and the opened areas during the development process.
They clarified that their future visions on the downtown are represented by creating a vital environment that includes trading and entertaining services, modern and old, in addition to pedestrians friendly atmospheres and open areas.