Jordan development Goals: Track, Learn, Suppot

Below is the millinium development goals (MDG) data. The data presented here is the latest latest available from the United Nations Statistics Division.

"MDG track progress in over 130 locations worldwide. The MDG Monitor shows how countries are progressing in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). With the 2015 target date fast approaching, it is more important than ever to understand where the goals are on track, and where additional efforts and support are needed, both globally and at the country level.
The MDG Monitor is designed as a tool for policymakers, development practitioners,
journalists, students and others to:

TRACK progress through interactive maps and country-specific profiles

LEARN about
countries' challenges and achievements and get the latest news

SUPPORT organizations working on the MDGs around the world

Jordan

Countdown: 7 years 50 days 12 hours

Total population (millions): 5.9
Population growth (annual %): 2.9
Surface area (sq. km): 89,342
GDP per capita (PPP US$): 5,988
GDP growth (annual %): 6.4
Inflation, GDP deflator (annual %): 4.8
Unemployment (% of total labor force): N/A
Life expectancy at birth (years): 71.3
Median age of total population (years): 21.1
Human Development Index (Rank 1 - 177): 86
Human Development Index Value: 0.8
Sex ratio at birth (males per 100 females): 105.0


Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Population below PPP $1 per day (%): 2.0
Children under 5 who are moderately or severely underweight (%): 4.4
Population living below the national poverty line (%): 14.2

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Net enrolment ratio in primary education (% both sexes): 92.6
Percentage of pupils starting Grade 1 and reach Grade 5 (% both sexes): 95.4

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Gender parity Index in primary level enrolment (ratio of girls to boys): 1.0
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old (% both sexes): 99.0
Seats held by women in national parliament (%): 5.5

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Mortality rate of children under 5 years old (per 1,000 live births): 26
1-year-old children immunized against measles (%): 95

Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 births): 41

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
People living with HIV,15-49 yrs old (%): 0.1
Prevalence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people): 6

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Land area covered by forest (%): 0.9
Carbon dioxide emissions per capita (metric tons): 3.0658
Access to improved drinking water sources (% of total population): 97

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
Internet users (per 100 people): 13.7
Youth unemployment rate, ages 15-24, both sexes : 30.3

Building what and why Amman?

I was wondering for the past few days about something I don't understand regarding the real estate construction boom in Amman and the future. I talked before about the effect of arts and architecture on shaping the identity of the societies in my previous post From an out of place architecture to an out of place identities. but my question is:"What and WHY?."

What kind of services will Amman have in these projects? Other than attracting real estate developers to build houses, offices, hotels and resorts. If we study the service and manufacturing industries and make a comparative advantage with other countries do we find any services that we might be better serve or produce?

Shouldn't we benchmark the services and products that we can produce here in Jordan to use our scarce resources of land and people that gives us more advantage and success over other countries in the region and the world?

What if manufacturing, which is not taking that much attention, is the sector that we need to focus on! or maybe farming! or fishing, no we don't have much sea here, or..or...

The investors that we are attracting are developers who are only interested in money by building and selling to other developers who will also sell to others. We thought that they will bring more jobs to our country but obviously they are outsourcing all their labors, materials, and operations from other resources in other countries.

Instead of bringing investors giving them all these incentives shouldn't we first give more incentives to the citizens, giving them jobs and supporting their businesses! How much we did to support the Local businesses? Will these investors participate in the development of our country? who have the power here: the citizens, the government, or the investors? I am afraid that we will end up being slaves working to foreign companies in our own country. Do we really want to build another little Dubai here? "that will be another subject to talk about: Why Dubai? "

The scarcity of resources in this country and the fierce competition in the emerging global markets requires from us to think million times about what shall we focus on?

Finally, we ask ourselves: are we building local and thinking global? or the other way.

We need Amman to be environmentaly sustainable and green

One of the strategies being experienced in other cities when developing a modern new buildings is done by creating a new locations and new city centers. There was an opportunity to create a new city for Amman, put all these high rise buildings in one area creating a new magnet and away from the crowded center of the city. This will not only preserve the city fabric and history but will also decrease traffic congestions, .

Take for example Paris, they built a new city called La Defense and built the modern high rises there maintaining the character of the old city.

On the other hand, the new high rise building located at the 6th circle in Amman, they call it "City gate"..gate in the middle of the city!!!, now under construction, is a big mistake. The two glass towers are located at one of the highest points of Amman, imagine building at the top of that location two glass boxes that doesn't relate to the city skyline and doesn't relate to the city character.

Other cities have the same problem. In NY they are building a new "Trump" tower in Soho and the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, but the city of New York accepted to substitute the affected residents. And the law supported the Trump tower to exist.


The problem is that every time GMA found a peace of land in the city they take it and build on it a project. It happens all the time, and it continues.

They did this in "Rass Al-Ein" where it should have been kept as a Green park with no buildings. Other location I want to mention is Al-Abdali project, a major transportation hub being transformed to a high density use center. Moreover, many locations been spread everywhere. More about the debate regarding GMA and Al-Abdali can be found under the topic “No to Abdali project Nor to abu Ghazaleh / a different perspective.”

We need to see more green, and less traffic in the city. These two points besides others I mentioned earlier under the topic “Regarding the new GMA Interim strategy” are the most important concerns to be achieved when you develop a city. Clearly, they are environmental issues.

It's clear that the Strategy adopted by the GMA is not doing that. My suggestion is to minimize construction of new buildings and limit it to conservation and development of existing projects and start planting trees, and build a whole new modern city with the infrastructure that can give an example of modernization, call it the Business or Financial district. Mixed use locations fragmented all over the city is not the solution. It will bring Chaos and disorder which will at the end affect the quality of life and the economy of the city.

Regarding the new GAM Interim Strategy

I am not sure if any of the architects/planners did or can criticize anything. The problem of the "Tower buildings" have different dimensions.
The study for Amman plan presented by the Mayor is not comprehensive, and there are few points I would like to mention:
1) It says: " We can partner with tower investors to achieve our vision" ... you represent the government and you enforce the city plan, you don't partner. If there is a plan, it should be implemented as it is.


2) Transportation. The problem is not just transportation accessibility, it's the increase in traffic congestions. New towers in the middle of the city will increase traffic congestions.

3) Environment...to ensure and promote. This is a weak statement for a global great concern. Green architecture, sustainability needs to be on the top list of priorities of future developments and you set rules and regulations based on them. it's the future.

4) Aesthetics "...Limestone, and metal materials. Some colors like white, peige are encouraged." We have enough stone that makes the city very pale now. Stone is beautiful, but we need variety of colors and new materials. For example: use Brick with its different colors and textures and it fits the proportion of the Human being since it's size is small.

5) "...Staggering buildings on slopes protecting views." This doesn't make since at all. a) What about the views of the tower itself? b) The tower is a tower, when you build it in the city it will still block the surrounding views.

6)"... Encourage taller and thinner over wider." Again: Encourage. Means nothing.

It was suggested to FILL 3 open areas to build Tower buildings in and arround Amman and I don't agree with that. Neither of the solutions presented solved anything.
1) We still have towers in the middle of the city.
2) We will have more traffic congestions in the city.
3) No environmental, sustainability plan.


A solution I might suggest:
1) Move all of the new towers to a new area, build a new modern city for all these new towers.
2) Build more Parks, we need to see more trees and playgrounds.
3) Encourage building with new materials and colors that brings more life to the city other than limestone, and the commercial metal.

One last thing, we don't only need a city plan we need new construction building methods, and building materials in Amman thats based on studying the available resources and the economical advantage of using new building technologies.