Think Green 2 Conference

Eco-Cities of the mediterranean 2008 exhibition in the Dead Sea

When: October 18-20, 2008
What: Eco - Cities of the Mediterranean
Where: Dead Sea - Jordan



Our region’s energy, water, waste, air and environment are all facing significant and complicated challenges that are affecting the quality of our lives today and will continue to affect the quality of future generations if they are not addressed.

Join us and let us work together at The Eco Cities of the Mediterranean Forum 2008 that will be held from October 18- 20, 2008 at the Dead Sea in Jordan. The Forum has been designed to update you on key topics pertaining to environmental issues. It is being organized for the Mediterranean region by the Jordanian Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Greater Amman Municipality, UNIDO and USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ).

The Forum will feature panel discussions led by experts covering topics on environmental challenges, strategies, policies and solutions in urban areas, with a motivation for action. There will be breakout sessions where you will be able to discuss issues of great importance in this field and examine regional case studies as practical examples demonstrating good practices.

Ministers, Mayors, members of the local authorities, service suppliers, intermediary and non governmental organizations will all be participating in this rich exchange of ideas, information and experiences, while networking with the leaders and experts in this field. We anticipate more than 200 practitioners from the region and worldwide will attend this valuable Forum.

The Forum will also include an exhibition for service and technology suppliers to showcase their latest services, products and state of the art developments in the environmental field.

An additional activity, in which participation is optional, has been planned towards the end of the Forum. A trip to the rose-red city of Petra, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, has been scheduled for October 21, where you can experience history from an ecological perspective.

We request that you extend this invitation to your entire organization and/or individuals you feel would be interested in attending this event. For more information and online registration, please visit us at: www.eco-cities.net or contact us by email at info@eco-cities.net

We look forward to welcoming you in Jordan,
Forum Organizers

Streets going Green in Amman

Street lights will be powered on Solar energy, and it's estimated to save millions of JD. A step in using alternative sources of energy and follow the lead of the developed countries in energy and environmental design, towerds highly performance and sustainable cities.

AMMAN (JT) - The Ministry of Public Works and Housing plans to start using solar energy soon to power streetlights in a step towards utilising alternative energy sources.

The ministry has prepared a database of local companies with experience in solar energy, in addition to several international companies, Sami Halasa, the ministry’s assistant secretary general for roads, said on Saturday.

“The ministry will benefit from the experiences of several European countries that make use of solar energy in street lighting. The new plan is expected to cut down state expenditures by millions,” Halasa told The Jordan Times yesterday.

The ministry will start using sunlight in a pilot project that will be implemented on the Amman Ring Road and Hashemiyeh-Balama Street, which are currently under construction.

“When we floated tenders for constructing these roads, we stipulated that the streetlights must operate via solar energy instead of electricity. Currently, each lamp pole with double bulbs costs the country JD45 annually,” Halasa said.

Lighting the streets using solar energy will not cost the country anything, the official said, adding that the ministry will apply the initiative all streets which will be established across the country.

Lighting the country’s streets costs about JD8 million annually; if the pilot project is implemented throughout the Kingdom, it will save millions which can be directed into development projects, he noted.

Underlining the project’s efficiency, Halasa said street lamps working on solar energy will be fitted with cells, which will store daylight and use it during the night.

He noted that the project is also applicable in winter, as three hours of sunlight are enough for lighting the streets, while batteries installed in the lamp poles will operate during cloudy days.

The ministry plans to use solar energy for lighting government agencies in the future, but this will require more study, said Halasa.

Parallel Parking

The pictures shown were taken within 5min of circulating the boundary streets of one of the most important neighborhoods in Amman, Swefieh.

I am posting these pictures with comments trying to point out on the problems we have in the City. Hopefully, we understand our problems and try to give the right solutions.

I don't walk to work, like most of us, and i got so frustrated from what I experience when driving. I see drivers fighting, agressive, and mad at each other. Not a healthy way for people to interact with each other, not a healthy way of living.

Parallel parking is a major obstacle for driving in the city, it cause more traffic, and more accidents. People parallel drive either because there is no parking, or they are in a hurry and have no time searching for a spot, or loading and unloading.

This doesn't happen in the big cities but why we see it a problem here?

A solution for this is by re-structuring the transportation system in the city by providing the following solutions:

1) Focus on Green transportation alternatives and not cars: Pedestrian, and public transit.

2) More Garage parking

3) Metered parking

4) Alternative street side parking

And most important allowing drivers to curb their cars only for loading and loading or a small period of time, like 1/2 an hour. Many of the parking spots are lost due to the long term parking of the retail owners and employees.

This will improve our streets and will improve the quality of our public spaces.

Finally, I am not promoting for accomodating driving, we shall focus more on pedestrians and public transit and not imposing some driving rules.

Related Posts:
Promoting for transportation alternatives in Amman City
Parking
Amman Mini-Metro from the 1st circle to the 8th circle?
The new Traffic law

Unfriendly Streets

We need to re-imagine Amman as a "Livable City ". All amman streets need to be Pedestrian friendly, and not only Wakalt or Rainbow, the commercial streets, and ignoring the rest.

Streets can't be regulated by only imposing strict traffic laws. They should come with a campaign to re-imagine our streets to be more livable. To Educate The citizens about the potential Transportation policies changes that will improve quality of life across Amman City.

Below are some photos taken for Swefieh streets in Amman on saturday afternoon. Note that all photes were taken by circulatiung just once arround the boundary streets of Swefieh, and I posted some comments on the photos:


"The contractors must file for permission from the GAM for any construction work or use outside the propoert line" AmmnVoice

"Parking spots must be provided for all Pharmacies instead of commercial stores" AmmanVoice

Loading and unloading at main streets

Wrong way and parking, while pedestrian walking on the street and causing traffic jams.

An intersection of chaos: no stop signs, parallel parking, no pedestrian crossing path, and an uneffective sign for an alternative street parking for only one hour.

Mechanisms to reduce traffic accidents

Police man in Jordan, Photo: Petra

The new PSD administration are taking the right steps toward enhancing the performance of the police department. This is what we mentioned in a previous post Police Security Department : " To be more effective, and have the competency to manage the developments and challenges in our country being more proactive than reactive." .... "We do need to see more police in every neighborhood and every street. In public places, parks, and Malls. If we need improvements in our country, it needs to come from here, from the police department. Their duties are beyond putting criminals in prison, they make sure that there is an order, and there is a law. Moreover, the PSD, and the GAM together with all other public services in the country need to be more connected working together."

AMMAN (Petra) - Public Security Department (PSD) Director Major General Mazen
Qadi said on Thursday that the PSD was working to implement plans designed to
reduce traffic accidents. Qadi made his remarks during a visit Thursday to the
Highway Patrol Department where he met with officials and experts to discuss
enhancing the department’s performance. Qadi issued instructions to provide the
department with qualified and well-trained personnel to control traffic movement
in the Kingdom. Also Thursday, Qadi said the PSD will continue plans to
establish highway patrol stations, noting that four new stations will be created
in the near future.

Related Posts:
Police Security Department


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Call 080022660 to report food and drug violations

Anybody knows the name of the restaurants?

If you have pictures of dirty Restaurants or any Violations. Send them to Amman Voice and we will post them here.

AMMAN (Petra) - The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) has referred the owners of five restaurants to court for violating public health rules during the four-day Eid Al Adha holiday. JFDA teams, which conducted dozens of inspection rounds during the holiday, destroyed foodstuff found to be unfit for consumption. Director of JFDA office in Amman Mohammad Khreishah called on citizens to report any violation by calling the toll free 24-hour number 080022660.


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Forest enhancement in Jordan

Honorary Consul of Ireland in Amman Ramzi Khoury and Al Shajarah Foundation Vice Chairman Hazem Malhas sign a grant agreement in the presence of HRH Prince Hamzah, honorary chairman of the Al Shajarah Foundation, on Tuesday (Petra photo)






Related Posts:
A 1000 car Campaign Or a 1000 tree to remember 9/11?
We need Amman to be environmentaly sustainable and green

AMMAN (JT) - HRH Prince Hamzah, the honorary chairman of the Al Shajarah
Foundation, on Tuesday received the foundation’s first donation for its future
initiatives.
The 24,000-euro donation was presented to the Prince by
Honorary Consul of Ireland in Amman Ramzi Khoury, from Ireland’s In-Country
Micro-Project Scheme, according to statement released by the foundation.
Al Shajarah board members as well as the foundation’s director, Fuad Srouji,
attended the event at Wild Jordan, celebrating the beginning of pilot programmes
in forest enhancement in Jordan.
The foundation was established in June 2006 under the guidance and chairmanship of Prince Hamzah with the vision of becoming an advocate for strategies, policies, plans and programmes aimed at increasing and enhancing areas covered by trees and forests in Jordan.
The foundation’s mission is to promote the acknowledgement of trees as living entities, critical to the ecological balance and attainment of sustainable socio-economic development, and to advocate for national policies, strategies, laws and
regulations to conserve and increase this natural green cover.
To this end, the foundation will inaugurate this season by initiating a project to reforest an area of 15 hectares in Jerash with the support of Zain Company and the
Forestry Directorate, according to the statement.
It will also contact several private sector firms to fund reforestation efforts in all governorates, and conduct awareness campaigns among public, private and educational sectors to advocate the preservation of forests, the planting and maintenance of trees and minimising tree cutting for firewood by promoting the use of dried jiffit blocks (olive pomace) as an alternative.

Jordanian Disability Act - Symposium

Great news for the future of accessibility for disables. Hopefully we see Amman more democratic, giving the rights for everybody to enjoy the city: It's streets, parks, neighborhoods, and buildings.

Related Posts:

Jordanian Disability Act

Symposium to highlight building codes

By Dalya Dajani

AMMAN - A new effort aimed at revitalising an important yet largely inactive law ensuring people with disabilities (PWD) a more accessible public environment will get under way in the capital today.

The two-day symposium, led by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and the Higher Council for the Affairs of People with Disabilities, is designed to help raise the profile and enforcement of special building codes across the country.

The Special Buildings Code Law, which obligates responsible entities to ensure specific designs for buildings for PWD, came into force in 1993 under the Law for the Welfare of Disabled Persons.

The law states that all public buildings and spaces should incorporate the necessary modifications to render them accessible for PWD.

This falls under Article 3 of the law, which stipulates the right of PWD into a suitable environment that allows them freedom of movement and transportation in a safe and secure manner.

The law supports the key basis behind the legislation, which calls for the integration of PWD into mainstream society by guaranteeing their rights to education, employment, rehabilitation, medical treatment and care.

Those responsible include municipalities, the Jordanian Construction Contractors Association (JCCA) and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing. Authorities at GAM and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing have made some changes to both existing and new infrastructure over the past few years such as roads, major traffic junctions and parks. Some buildings and hotels have also followed building requirements or modified existing structures to meet these needs.

The Ministry of Transport has also introduced buses that have a certain number of seats designated and specifically designed for physically challenged persons.

While these steps are positive, the general environment for PWD still remains weak.



Director of the special buildings code at GAM, Rana Haddadin, said ensuring an accessible and socially cohesive environment for PWD requires greater awareness and a stronger mechanism for enforcement.

“Despite the positive strides taken, enforcement of the law and implementation of these standards on a comprehensive scale has not happened,” said Haddadin.

“We need to bring all relevant authorities on board, raise awareness on the law and ensure that a mechanism is in place for enforcement,” she added.

Haddadin told The Jordan Times that the objective of today’s meeting is to actively engage partners, which include GAM, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, representatives of other ministries, the JCCA and municipalities.

She said the latter is considered an important partner at a time when these changes are almost nonexistent in areas outside the capital where a large population of PWD still struggle to participate in society.

The Higher Council for the Affairs of People with Disabilities, the key authority on all issues related to PWD, is currently the main force in seeing these rights translated on the ground.

Enforcement of special buildings codes is among a number of issues set for implementation on the council’s action plan next year, which is essential for PWD to integrate into public life and to enjoy other rights guaranteed under the law such as employment and recreation.

Haddadin said while changing existing infrastructure is important, priorities are for new buildings and infrastructure.

“The action plan will address the needs for changes to both existing and new infrastructure, but the focus will be on new buildings, as implementation and enforcement will be be easier for those,” said Haddadin.

The complexities of modifying existing infrastructure include mechanisms and decisions as to who will finance the modification costs.

Some positive examples cited by the GAM official include the rehabilitation of Abu Huraira Street in east Amman, Al Taj road by Al Bashir Hospital and Shatt Al Arab and King Faisal roads in Um Uthaina. Others include the Zaha Centre in Tlaa Al Ali and King Hussein Park, which have been made accessible by GAM.

Haddadin said the two-day forum will include discussions on the current situation of infrastructure and the law’s requirements, while various entities will present working papers on their experiences in application of special building codes.

These include GAM, the Public Transport Regulatory Commission and the Local Building Council at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing. The ministries of municipal affairs, social development, education and tourism will also present their experiences in embracing the needs of PWD.

The participants are expected to present their recommendations at the end of the symposium.

Haddadin said she believed such important input and participation would pave the way for a new direction next year.

“Had the law been implemented properly in 1993, the Kingdom’s infrastructure would have looked very different today,” she said.

“However, I’m confident that these recommendations will be a starting point for new action next year,” she added.

The Landlord, Tenant, and Government Law

We all probably heard about this, but, how is it cooking? God knows and as we say God forbids" allah Yustor."

How many people will be thrown out of their houses, and shops to the streets? We Hope nobody.
How many alternative housing units will be provided? Maybe 100 of thousands.

How much shall the Landlords and tenants compromise? Alot

Are you with this law or not?

Well, it's a fair proposal but how to implement it is challenging.

How to make everybody happy?

My suggestion is to create an account where the Tenant pays the extra rent to the Landlord taken as a percentage of increase in rents depending on the Tenant Credit history: Financial statements, or taxes, or Wages, or whatever credit the Tenant holds.
Oops, I forgot we don't have credit history in this country, other than your political history.

SO,

Maybe we start by "First things First" and start thinking /about thinking/ of creating a social security and credit history for every citizen. Then we start talking about the wealth distribution.

OR, we just throw the tenants out and just care about the richer getting richer.

Note: It's understandable that it's ridiculous to pay a 100JD to rent a shop in West Amman!!! However, the mistake from the beginning was made because of the law and who put that law is to be taken the responsibility and not the citizen. If "The Law" to be changed the three parties should be involved:

The Tenant: Whose paying a ridiculous amount of money but covered with a contract.
The Landlord: Where the value of the property is much higher than the payments received. The Government: Who's changing the law

Hence, the three parties involved need to have a fair settlement

AMMAN - Lawyers and human rights activists foresee “social upheaval” and a legal hubbub when a controversial provision in the Landlords and Tenants Law will leave all property lease contracts null and void.

They expect thousands of traded lawsuits between tenants and landlords to flood the already overburdened courts.

Article 5 of the regulation, which was passed by Parliament in 2000, stipulates that all property rent contracts will be null and void on December 31, 2010. The provision gave the renters 10 years to look for alternatives.

“Where shall I go?” exclaimed father of seven Abu Ahmad, 48, who has lived in a leased flat in Jabal Nasr neighbourhood in Amman for almost 30 years. He works in the Central Vegetable and Fruit Market for JD10 a day and pays JD80 monthly for rent.

“The landlord has already informed us, that by 2011 we will have to leave,” he said. At present, Abu Ahmad, like thousands of renters in the country, cannot afford to find another apartment, particularly with the increasing rent rates and prices of housing units.

"I will not leave just like that,” he said.

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A flat of 150 square metres in a middle-class area in Amman costs around JD60,000-70,000, and a minimum of JD200 monthly rent. With a $2,540 per capita income this year and an inflation rate expected to rise higher above the six per cent registered last year, the cost will be too high for people like Abu Ahmad to afford.

“I will be thrown in the street with my family and I just cannot allow that,” he said with a threatening stern look on his face.

There are thousands of tenants who share Abu Ahmad’s attitude, said Issam Sharif, a lawyer who conducted a study released this week on the impact of the controversial law in cooperation with Al Ahd Party and the Law Group for Human Rights (MIZAN).

MIZAN’s director, Eva Abu Halaweh, said trouble is a strong possibility: Landlords will be filing lawsuits to kick tenants out and tenants will try to find any reason to hold on to the places where they live. Violence is not a far possibility, she said.

The Department of Statistics did not have updated figures on the number of leaseholders or landlords.

Al Ahd Party’s Secretary General Khaldoun Nasser estimated that there are 1.5-2.0 million real estate renting contracts.

He said these contracts include private and public schools, bakeries, groceries, pharmacies and light industries that might go out of business in 2011.

For their part, landlords argue that renters have benefited enough from properties at low rates for long and it’s high time they left.

Nabil Abdeh, formerly a United States resident, said his late father leased the first floor of the family house in the affluent Sweifieh neighbourhood for JD100 in 1980. The tenant would not leave now, while the real estate prices in this area are skyrocketing, the son said. The landlord pays the water and electricity bills under the original contract, Abdeh said, adding that the rent value is hardly enough to cover these utilities.

“This is unfair,” Abdeh said, noting “if the law is going to fail in protecting our rights, what justice can we expect?”

“A complicated issue,” said Nasser. “But the solution is not shifting the burden from the owners’ shoulders to the lessees.”

Activists say that landlords lobbied for the law seven years ago because they would make millions if their tenants were out.

The lobbying started mid-1990s, Sharif said in his research, following the issuance of the older version of the law in 1994.

Property owners demanded amendments to that law and their efforts paid off as the 13th Parliament endorsed the amendments in 2000, Sharif said.

In the 14th Parliament, 64 deputies proposed changes to the 2000 law, but the motion remained in “the drawers of the legal committee”, according to Abu Halaweh.

His Majesty King Abdullah brought up the issue again in the Speech from the Throne at the opening of the 15th Parliament this week.

The King said: “From this democratic forum, I call on the legislative and executive authorities to start a positive dialogue on the Landlords and Tenants Law to come up with practical solutions that take into consideration the realisation of social security, justice and the interests of all, whether they are landlords or tenants.”

In the speech, as on other occasions, he instructed the authorities to work on providing housing for those with limited income at affordable prices, and declared 2008 as “year of housing”.

Related Posts:

Housing for Limited income people bought by High income people.

More Abdali high rise buildings and more money

The New Abdali Model, photo by: Emad Salameh

Abdali project came as a project to lead the transformation of the New Ammaan. It introduced some high rise buildings in the heart of Amman. The location of the project was criticized by many consultants due to it's location and size, and how it's transforming Amman besides problems in traffic and congesstions.

The model shows more high rise buildings being added to the project. There are many surprises that's shapping our city Amman and it's future.

Is everything being already planned and bought?

I see the motive behind these new high rises is to gain more money since the price of the land with a high rise have more value than without. The new expansion strategy of Amman came to regulate the location of high rise buildings in Amman especially after seeing Jordan gate at the 6th circle, but, I have doubts now that the new planning strategy were targeted to our citizens and not to the foreign investors who can buy and build anything, anywhere.

Is that true? I hope not

The new expansion strategy did not help us in re-imagining the Amman. It was just a proposal for the real estate brokers in this country to buy more lands and get richer.

If we need to develop Amman we need to start from what's already been done, fix it, make it more livable before we expand.

Related Posts:

Introducing the new Downtown Amman

We need Amman to be environmentaly sustainable and green

Regarding the new GAM Interim Strategy

Amman City Streets

Building what and why Amman?

Opening of the complex travel north and the conversion of Abdali into Garden

Promoting for transportation alternatives in Amman City

Introducing the new Downtown Amman

New Downtown Amman, Photo by: Emad Salameh

This is the model of the new Downtown Amman, presented at Cityscape Dubai 2007 by Mawared. The project is loated between the downtown Roman theater toward east covering Raghadan area and beyond.

This project was described by the GAM consultant Mr. Jaime "a sustainable city advocate", who presented his experience to GAM early this month as a "Great Project" during his speach about sustainability.

If this model was only for presentation, it was a bad propaganda for Amman, it's history, present, and future. This design proposal, and it's model presentation didn't meet the standrads of projects being presented to the world of investors, and developers at one of the most important real estate expo, Cityscape.

A disaster! We have great consultants architects and planners in Jordan who are qualified up to the international standards to design, and plan the city, but, when it comes to the most important decisions and projects we don't see them getting involved, or maybe get involved but we don't see this implemented on the ground.

Why? Shouldn't the architects and planners raise their voices higher? Are they making enough to educate and participate in shapping the city?

If the decision makers don't have the knowledge to understand the city Urban planning and development. Shouldn't the architects become more proactive, and stand up for what they see as right or wrong?

Our architects and Urban planners need to be more involved, and have more power participating in the the decision making process. Then we see more mature projects than this one, or Jordan Gate, or Abdali, or Ras El-Ein, or Rainbow street, or Wakalat, or the new expansion strategy .
Then, we re-imagine Amman with more parks, and pedestrian and less cars, we see Amman with streeets as civic places, more trees, less pollution and noise.


Related Posts:
We need Amman to be environmentaly sustainable and green
Regarding the new GAM Interim Strategy
Amman City Streets
Building what and why Amman?
Opening of the complex travel north and the conversion of Abdali into Garden
Promoting for transportation alternatives in Amman City

Parking

Parking building in Swifieh

New parking building in Swifieh is now under construction. It will be owned and operated by a private company for 25 yeas till the GAM take it back. The drivers will be charged to park their cars, not sure how much, and the revenue will go to the company. Another parking building will be constructed near Al-Wakalat street.

These projects might help in solving growing demand for parking in Amman. Currently, available free parking can be found at the alternative street side parking, but, not for too long. In the near future I see that we will start paying for these free street parking.

We can see this happening at Uhm-Uthaena Souq "the jewelry stores" where you will be charged to park in the street.

This will increase the cost of living and will increase traffic since most of the drivers will still cruise the streets trying to find an empty free parking spot. Not to forget also the effect on the environment.

Accommodating parking and driving is a problem, instead of accommodating car driving we need to look at transportation alternatives as better means for commuting in the city. I will mention again the effect of the new GAM planning strategy on traffic and parking. Increasing the density of population will increase the traffic problem unless we improved our pedestrian and streets network and adopted the mixed approach so we will be able to walk instead of driving.

Will building parking in Amman solve the increasing parking problems? Will you pay to get a parking spot? Won't you prefer walking, taking public transit (if we have any!!!), or taking a taxi and drop you wherever you want?

I mentioned this too in many previous posts:

Regarding the new GAM Interim Strategy

Amman City Streets

Promoting for transportation alternatives and bicycle lanes in Amman City

Amman Mini-Metro from the 1st circle to the 8th circle?

Opening of the complex travel north and the conversion of Abdali into Garden

GAM uses GIS to enhance performance

Creating digital maps and maps content for Jordan