German Jordan University

School of Architecture and Built Environment

Department of Architecture

The political impact on spatial planning development in Amman

Migration Impact on Spatial Planning in

Amman

Supervisor: Done by:

Prof. Christoph Zoepel Tameer Mohammad Al-Battran

Dr. Kamal Jalouqa 2013618020

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Table of Contents

Introduction . 3

Methodology 4

Results ..5

Demographic situation .7

Police impact on planning of Amman 11

Conclusion .13

Bibliography ...14

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Introduction:

Development of spatial planning of cities is shaped by the rapid increase in population. This

increase is due to many facets. Chief among them is the increase in migration that may occur

because of regional or global, economic or political instabilities (Pilder, 2011). During the last

century, global populations has tripled in number, growing from 1.7 billion at beginning of the

20th century to nearly 5.75 billion in 1995 (Durand 1977; United Nations Demographic

Yearbook1995). The rate of increase is far higher than has ever been recorded in human

history. In turn, spatial planning of the cities that we live in has to respond to this often sporadic

increase in population.

This essay, will present three of the most important socio-political factors that influenced the

patterns of spatial planning of the city of Amman. There is a strong and tangible relationship

between the sudden population increase between the years (1990-2014) and the spatial planning

in Amman. As the population has increased, the demand for previously undeveloped land was

expatiated as well. Due to volatile nature of the region, the city of Amman, the capital of the

Kingdom, has become the default destination for transient population on a temporary and

permanent status; and the urban landscape of the city became a site for both formal and informal

building.

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Methodology:

This essay is divided into two parts:

Part one reviews patterns of population growth in Jordan, and more specifically in Amman

before and after the three major events of (the Gulf, the Iraq and the Syrian war) and until year

of 2014. Part two explains how the sporadic increase of population influenced patterns of the

spatial planning in the city of Amman.

This essay is highly dependent upon course reading materials and on deductive analysis and

other information gained through course lectures on the topic of (Spatial Socio-Economic

Development Planning).

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Results:

Gulf war 1990-2002:

The period between 1990 and 2002, during and immediately processding the Gulf War, resulted

in a spike in population of 200, 000. This staggering number reflects the mass number of

refugees who relocated only to the areas of greater Amman municipality, and excluding all other

Jordanian regions.

Iraq war 2003:

More than 700,000 Iraqis refugees moved to Jordan after the war. Most of those immigrants

resided in Amman.

Syrian Revolution of 2010:

The Syrian refugees crisis, a number that is continues on increasing are estimated at 800,000.

20% of these refugees are forced to live in camps; meanwhile the other 80% are living

sporadically in the rest of the Jordanian cities. Amman is host to 400,000 of these refugees.

Natural population increase and impacts:

Demographers track the dynamics of population growth, concentrating on rates of change, such

as the frequency of births and deaths and the average number of children per mother.

Demographers are also interested in rates of migration, especially changes in the rural and urban

populations. For any given population, the rate of increase that depends on the number of births

minus deaths is known as the natural increase. Population changes within any given settlement

space can arise from natural increase or from migration. (Gottdiener and Hutchison, 2011)

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The importance of spatial planning in the process of urban development has been recognized in

policy documents for several decades. As long ago as 1976, the Vancouver Declaration on

Human Settlements, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (also

known as the Habitat I Conference), identified the central role of spatial planning for future

urban development, stating that:

It is the responsibility of Governments to prepare spatial strategy plans and adopt human

settlement policies to guide the socio-economic development efforts. Such policies must be an

essential component of an overall development strategy, linking and harmonizing them with

policies on industrialization, agriculture, social welfare, and environmental and cultural

preservation so that each supports the other in a progressive improvement in well-being of all

mankind. A human settlement policy must seek harmonious integration or coordination of a

wide variety of components, including, for example, population growth and distribution,

employment, shelter, land use, infrastructure and services. Governments must create

mechanisms and institutions to develop and implement such a policy.

Spatial planning is usually concerned with identifying long- or medium-term objectives and

strategies for territories and coordinating sectorial policies such as transport, agriculture and

environment. The system of spatial planning can help deliver economic, social as well as

environmental benefits.

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- Demographic situation of the city of Amman in the last three crises of

the Arab region:

Since its inception, Jordan suffered from the dire resultants of political and socio-economic

events mainly occurring in its neighboring countries. Where there was initially a defect in the

natural population growth, a series of periods of political turmoil have resulted expediential and

unanticipated growth of populations. The essay will review this unprecedented imbalance of

growth in the period between 1990 and 2014. This growth can be divided into three main

periods:

1-Gulf war 1990:

Out of a total population which increased from 18 to 24 million, maybe up to one and a half

million Iraqis left their country permanently between 1990 and end of 2002. An estimated

200,000 Iraqis took refuge in Jordan (Chatelard, 2009). The population of Jordan in the period

1989 was 2,896,800 and the annual growth rate at 4.11 percent, 1,576,238 was the population in

the city Amman at that time, which means that the rate of increase is approximately 200,000 as

direct result of the Gulf conflict.

0

1

2

3

4

1989 1990 1991 2002

population

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2-Iraq war 2003:

As a result of the outbreak of the Iraq war in 2003 and continuous sectarian wars, Iraqi middle

class as well as upper class groups with a bigger capital then the previous wave of refugees

started to move away from their homes. Their destination was to the immediate neighboring

countries or elsewhere. Jordan was one of the countries to have received the lion share of them.

It is estimated that during this period Jordan has received close to 800,000 Iraqi refugees.

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3- Syrian revolution 2010:

The continued influx of Syrian refugees is placing tremendous strains on the Jordanian

government. The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees in April 2014

estimated that there were 595,369 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, increasing the country's

population up to 10%. Some estimates suggest that the total Syrian refugee population in Jordan

could surge to over 800,000 by the end of 2014. Most Syrian refugees in Jordan have settled in

urban areas, with only 20% of refugees residing in campsprimarily the 80,000- person tent

city of Al Zaatari in northern Jordan (Sharp, 2014).

Most Syrians have preferred to reside in Amman, a natural choice because of the availability of

services and possibility of undocumented work Opportunities.

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Demographic situation of the city of Amman in the last three crises of the Arab region

Gulf war 1990-2002

The war effected 200,000

proportion in the city of Amman

Iraq war 2003-2006

The war effected up normal increase

700,000 proportion in

Jordan

Syrianevolution 2010-

2014

800,000 immigrant from Syria to Jordan

20% of them refugees residing in

camps

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- Increase of people influenced the spatial planning in the city of Amman:

Demographers track the dynamics of population growth, concentrating on rates of change, such

as the frequency of births and deaths and the average number of children per mother.

Demographers are also interested in rates of migration, especially changes in the rural and urban

populations. For any given population, the rate of increase that depends on the number of births

minus deaths is known as the natural increase. Population changes within any given settlement

space can arise from natural increase or from migration. (Gottdiener and Hutchison, 2011)

Sprawl in urban planning increases with naturally in the population, as in this case, the planners

study the space and planning commensurate with the rest of the city, but the abnormal increasing

that results because of political problems for neighboring countries or any other reason resulting

random planning Cities.

By looking at the political problems of the Arab region or specifically for the countries

neighboring kingdom of Jordan, we will find that the politics situation in neighboring countries

have produced abnormally increased in the preparation of the population.

Total number of population in Jordan during the last 3 Decades:

year Million

1980 2.18

1990-2000 4.80

2000-2004 5.29

2004-2008 5.91

2008-2013 More than 6.5

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By collecting the numbers of refuges in the city of Amman, we will find that the total is more

than 1,250,000 refuges. This drastic demographical change requires an appropriate change in the

spatial planning of the City. Many demographical challenges come into effect, and as a result

the general planning patterns of the City must change to address new challenges, which include:

1- The need to develop spaces for living.

2- The need to develop the road network.

3- The need to provide new urban areas.

4- The need to provide new health facilities.

5- The need to provide new educational facilities.

6- The need for a service-providing facilities.

The need to develop spaces for living:

The need to develop spaces for living is the most important issue facing the city while mitigating

uncontrolled urban sprawl, because of the sudden and unexpected increase in population that has

occurred in recent periods.

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The need to develop the road network:

The conventional solution usually put forward public forms to Ammans traffic problems is to

expand the citys road network. This in fact will cause more harm than good. New and expanded

roads tend to generate increased traffic and simply will create more insoluble traffic congestion

problems in the long term. In contrast, I have heard planners assert that for a city the size of

Amman, the existing road network is more than adequate. The solution to the citys

compounding traffic congestion problems accordingly does not lie in more roads, but in a more

effective management of Ammans existing road network. (CSBE, 2007)

The need to provide new urban areas:

Additional beneficial aspects of urban open space can be factored into how valuable it is

compared to other urban development. One study categorizes these measures of value into six

groups: utility, function, contemplative, aesthetic, recreational, and ecological (Berry and David,

1976). Abnormal population increase in Amman requires an immediate increase on urban

spaces suitable for multitude of socio-economic needs.

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Conclusion:

The struggles of the Arab region of the last three decades have widely influenced the shape and

design of spatial planning of city of Amman. The events of the three wars, the Gulf War (1990),

the Iraq war (2003) and revolution of Syria (2010), resulted in the arrival of multitudes of

refugees. This influx of humanity has all aspects of the spatial planning and the built

environment.

Urban sprawl is due increase naturally with the anticipated growth in population numbers.

However, as in this case of Amman, due to abnormal increase in population numbers as result

enforceable political events the urban sprawl will be chaotic and uncontrolled at best.

The total number of refugees in the city of Amman is estimated at more than 1,250,000 refuges.

. This drastic demographical change requires an appropriate change in the spatial planning of the

City. Many demographical challenges come into effect, and as a result the general planning

patterns of the City must change to address new challenges, which include:

- The need to develop spaces for living.

- The need to develop the road network.

- The need to provide new urban areas.

- The need to provide new health facilities.

- The need to provide new educational facilities.

- The need for a service-providing facilities.

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Bibliography:

Berry, David. "Preservation of Open Space and the Concept of Value." American Journal of

Economics and Sociology 1976. Pp 113124.

Cincotta,R., & Engelman, R.(1997). Economics and Rapid Change: The Influence of Population

Growth.

Ruther, M., H. (2012). Essays on the Spatial Clustering of Immigrants and Internal Migration

within the United States. Department of Justice. United States.

KURK1, I. Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning. The Influence of Demographic Aging

on the Potential Labour Market Supply vol. 1, no. 2 (2010) 117-124.

(Chapter 12 in Stone, E. (ed.) 1999: Disability and Development: Learning from action and

research on disability in the majority world, Leeds: The Disability Press pp. 193-209).

International Crisis Group Iraq Backgrounder: What Lies Beneath, ICG, (October 1,

2002).

Sharp J., M. (2014). Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations. Washington, United States of

America.