SAVE ITALIAN CITIES CAMPAIGN FROM UGLY 1960s SKYSCRAPERS

I got this from a Friend and I wanted to share it with the "Ammanies" posting it in Amman Voice Blog:

SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN !INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN
TO SAVE THE ITALIAN CITIES
FROM 1960s-LIKE PROPOSED SKYSCRAPERS

The Italian cities represent a worldwide patrimony of Mankind, and for the Italian Nation, an un-valuable richness.
Their skyline reflects a true millennial civilization and an un-beatable trademark. The edifices that arise higher than the urban fabric always express the community values:the church, the public palace, the Municipal Building, the Town Hall, the Government, etc.

The alarm spread all over the world by the media on the risks caused by the proposed new skyscrapers in Turin reveals a severe menace for both the un-matchable skyline of the city and the Italian's reputation in the world.
Not only do the proposed skyscrapers express in their box-like aesthetic a sad and banal nostalgia for the building catastrophes of the 1950s and 1960s, but they introduce too a huge alteration of the democratic and economic principles of a modern civilized society.
Either every citizen holds the right to build a skyscraper -as it happens in a few areas of American cities such as Up-town and Mid-town Manhattan- or nobody does it -like in the Village at New York City, in Washington DC, Paris, etc.
A Vision of Europe and the Fondation pour l'Architecture do strongly recommend your intervention in order to avoid the aggression to the elegant skyline of the Italian cities, protect the architectural heritage of the Italian cities, promote a new policy of sustainable Urban Renaissance. A truly innovative one after the many dysasters of the 1950s and 1970s. A policy which will be respectful of the great Classical tradition of Italy.


SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN !

DAI IL TUO CONTRIBUTO !
If you want to support A Vision of Europe International Campaign, you will find HERE the letter ( ENGL ) . It would be great if you can print it, sign it in, and send it to both authorities with an e-mail copy to: avoe@libero.it and civicarch@unife.it .
Many thanks for your help for the beautiful city that we all love ! Se vuoi dare il

mail address:
SIGNOR PRESIDENTE
della Repubblica Italiana
Presidenza della Repubblica
Palazzo del Quirinale, Piazza del Quirinale
00187 Roma SIGNOR SINDACO
del Comune di Torino
Palazzo Civico
Piazza Palazzo di Città, 1
10122 Torino email , FAX: Comune di Torino
Ufficio Stampa del Consiglio Comunale
Tel: +39.011.4422526
Fax: +39.011.4423360
ufficiostampa.consiglio@comune.torino.it

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A 1000 car Campaign Or a 1000 tree to remember 9/11?

We remembered our martyrs this week with sorrow and blessings to protect our country and it's peaceful citizens from any harm.

Not sure who was behind this campaign, however, I knew that it wasn't officially approved, but, still some cars did participate in the campaign as we can see in the pictures below.


Is this how we campaign to remember our martyrs by driving our cars across the street.

Instead of promoting for streets as public spaces, pedestrian friendly, we promote for our causes by driving our cars!!!

I never seen this in any civilized world, a 1000 car campaign !!!

What's wrong with walking in silence, remembering our martyrs with respect and peace while celebrating our clean streets?

Why not instead of campaigning by driving, we walk?

What if instead of every Car we planted a Tree and we gave them a name of the 9/11 martyrs. We see them growing and we remember them every day in our streets.

I am sure whoever planned for this made a huge effort to promote for it, and he/she was thinking out of his heart and love to his country and people to remember 9/11.

Maybe next year we plant together a 1000 tree.

On the other hand, I must mention here other similar events when we win a soccer match, or a music award we fill our streets with cars cycling our streets for hours to celebrate.

Shouldn't this stop? maybe one day.

The GAM is working hard to control our public streets, and make it pedestrian friendly, with less traffic, and less pollution. We need to educate ourselves about the harm of cars and traffic and it's effect on the environment and city life.




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I need an answer for this picture?

Taken by Anonymous...

This picture was taken for Jamal Abdel Nassir Circle and I want someone to answer me these questions:

1) Why nobody is using the bridge?
2) Who decided to build this bridge or other non functional bridges ?
3) Did the bridges or tunnel solve the increasing traffic congestion problems?
4) Will I go to prison asking these questions?
5)( ) fill in the blanks


*Small note: Funny picture looking at the empty pedestrians and someone is trying to cross the street running.

If we continue planning our streets for cars and traffic, we will get more cars and traffic; conversely, if we start planning our cities for people and places, we will get more people and places.

Read more at : Amman Streets


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Wakalat street

I wanna share you some pictures with comments from the Wakalat street. I took it the month after they opened it.I love this project and my expectations were much higher than the results but I still say it's a very innovative concept for the city of Amman. If there were some mistakes we can learn from them and we shall all cooperate in building and developing our city. I know that many good people were behind this project and I hope they continue in this direction maybe one day we see all Amman streets as pedestrians, and parks celebrating it's people and cultures.

Photos by Emad Salameh, August 7th 2007

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Building what and why Amman?
From an out of place architecture to an out of place identities.
"The Transformers"
Amman City Streets

Time to abandon the Facebook Ship

Both Facebook and MySpace lost millions of users between August and September, according to recent numbers from Nielsen Online.

Facebook was supposed to become the Google of social networking. It’s not going to happen. Facebook is over the hill and has reached the social networking implosion point.

Opening up Facebook to non-students and third party apps has not increased the value of the platform; it has diminished Facebook’s usefulness.
A Facebook application may deliver eyeballs, but the value of those users is questionable. Development time and energy may be more wisely spent on widgets that can be plugged into any network.

Mark Zuckerberg’s time to cash in is running out. This week something is up at Facebook, as Valleywag and Caroline McCarthy have reported.

"Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo -- as well as a host of freelance moneybags -- continue to press their offers to shower Facebook, the hot social network, with dollars and ads. And last Wednesday at San Francisco's Web 2.0 Summit, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company was close to clinching a deal."

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WiFi and Free at Wakalat Street....but Why?

GAM with collaboration from Omniah launched a free WIFI service at the Wakalat street. So you can now access the internet and for free....Cool right? We do need this service in all over Amman, but, do we really need it at the Wakalat Street. So now we know there is a free WiFi but who will use it and how?

We know also that Wakalat street is a shopping or a Mall-ish street. So if you want to use your laptop, you need first a place to sit down and second, you need electricity to hook your laptop too. This might be provided at either Starbucks or maybe one of those few coffee shops, but, don't they already offer an internet service there too.

I don't wanna discourage having a FREE service like this one, but I am afraid it's only an accessory or a marketing tool to be provided in the wakalat street.

Don't we need this free service at our universities, schools, and libraries?

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GAM to launch private radio station

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Mobile Cultures

Below is a list of books distributors in Jordan and I thought of sharing it with you.

But, I am proposing here an interesting project(s) maybe someone will make it happen. Since most of us here don't visit: Libraries, Museums, and galleries lets bring it to them?

We can have a mobile library traveling all over Jordan selling and buying books or just open it's doors for people to rent them or just browsing them, then maybe later on the concept will have a bigger impact and end up to build a Library.

We can have a Mobile Museum, traveling the city, going to schools, parks and neighborhoods. It can hold samples from the new Hussein Museum to let us know what can we see or expect to see in it.

We can have Mobile concerts for different musicians, mobile galleries for different artists, or mobile awareness campaigns. Like: Campaign for recycling awareness, non-smoking, breast cancer, carbon emission...etc.

Maybe someone will like the idea and support it to make it happen. Then we start seeing more of our culture in the streets of Amman. We get more encouraged to read more, educate ourselves about our arts and get some awareness.

Maybe one day...but, development comes step by step. Isn't it?


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Volunteer in Amman

Book publishers in Jordan:

Mrs. Rajaa Deweri Academic Centre For College Textbooks 962 6 5332330/5340383 962 6 5337187
Mrs. Lamis Al Husseini Al Bustan Lil Kutub 962 6 5654270 962 6 5654271
Mr. Bishara Naber Al Kashkool Bookshop 00962 6 5683256 00962 6 5622209
Mr. Madian Al Jazerah Books@cafe 962 6 4650457 962 6 4650457
Mr. M. Al Borini E Tec International 962 6 5827281 962 6 5827283
Mr. Rawan Barakat Jordan Book Centre Co. Ltd 5151 882 515 2016
Mr. Eyad Mohammad Jordan Distribution Agency - ARAMEX Media 962 6 5358855 962 6 5337733
Mr. Muhammad Al-Majdubah Modern Educational Systems 962 6 565-0360 , 565-0363 962 6 5650355
Ms. Shatha Al Qasem/Tamara Hakouz Philadelphia Book Gallery 962 6 5515861 / 5534238 962 6 5510649
Mr. Ala Mohammad Specialty Academic Book Centre (9626)5531464 962 6 5531468
Mr. Safa Hijazeen The Good Book shop 962 6 461 3939 962 6 461 3938
Mr. Mazen K Kutob University Bookshop 962 6 5330211 962 6 5357638
Mr. Osama Qasem/Ms.Majdolen Dalo Universiy Book Centers Company 962 6 5346746 962 6 5346740

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

Jordanian Disability Act

Could this happen ... Maybe one day.

I always wonder why we don't see any disables in our streets, and one major reason is our urban streets and buildings that is not friendly to disables.

I read in the news today that there are some discussions to apply building codes designed to facilitate the movement of people with disabilities and ensure that all institutions adhere to such codes. HRH Prince Raad, the Chief Chamberlain and the Minister of Public Works and Housing Hosni Abu Gheida, head of the Jordanian National Construction Council discussed plans to construct a permanent headquarters to host the higher council.

These acts have been implemented since a long time in other countries. It's purpose is to prohibit discrimination on the basics of disability by public accommodations and requires places of public accommodation and commercial facilities to be designed, constructed, and altered in compliance with the accessibility standards established by this act.

It's such an important initiative to build such codes, however, we all know that movements in our streets need to be facilitated not only for disables but for pedestrians in general.

Moreover, some challenges might be faced in implementing the codes especially for existing constructions. Focusing on public facilities like ministries, Schools, Museums, and parks might be the first step for implementation.







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Noise Pollution in Amman city

It's 6:00am and I just woke up, well, not because I slept enough or I set up my personal alarm to get up early to my 9:00 work but because I woke up on the neighborhood alarm that comes from the construction noise in my street. This is becoming contagious that I rarely sleep these days the way I want, with peace and calm. It's not a healthy living to start your week like this nervous and stressed out.

The noise comes from different sources but the most annoying to me is the construction work. In my neighborhood they finished last month a one year project of a reconstructed Villa to 4 floors residential project a block from my house, then another one just finished, with the same story, a villa reconstructed to 4 floors residential project. Only last month they destroyed an old 3 floors building in my block and now it's under construction. The noise and dust that comes from these projects are over the ordinary level that a human can handle.

Moreover, noise will continue after finishing these projects since the population density will increase.

Is construction more important than us Humans!

The biggest noise that is polluting my neighborhood is the one that comes from the Jordan gate towers which have 24 hour shifts, apparently to meet their deadlines. Even I live about 700 meters away and I still hear the noisy hammers that never stops.

Construction is not not the only source of pollution. Here is the school bus honking at 6:10am to pick up the school kids. Then later the home gas distributor will drive by with his annoying boring melody with it's high volume pitch, then later the famous truck will shout: elly 3endo talagat, ghasalat, nashafat 3ate2a lalbea3 ( Who have an old washer, dryer, refrigerator for sale?)And don't forget the garbage tanks.

Any solution is beyond my handle. Maybe, I move to a different neighborhood, but which neighborhood if the same construction noise pollution happens everywhere? or might happen?

Don't we need to start thinking about controlling noise and construction pollution? To set up: Amman city noise code?

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Boycott Restuarants in Amman

I read yesterday a post in Arab observer blog about boycotting restaurants in Amman with cover charges. I like to be proactive rather than reactive, I feel most of the times boycotting is an action taken from a hopeless, like when we boycott Israel, Denmark, or the US. However, for those who take boycotting as a hopeless strategy I scratched my head about another reason to "boycott" the restaurants and cafe's in Amman:

Only for families "3a2ellat". We all know what it means, single men are not allowed to enter the restaurant or cafe without bringing girls. So single men, you either go back to your guys only place or bring a girl just to get in.

Maybe it's a hopeless dream not to be sexiest in this country because everybody will say: We need a social reform. If the guys are not welcomed to enjoy their city how will those guys become the leaders of the social reforms?

We can list the restaurants in Amman that are sexiest who refuse our single men to enter just because they are men and write a complaining letter to our ministry of tourism, who all the time promote for "Local Tourism" and publish it on-line.

Single men: Don't you hate it when this happens to you?

Jordan Environmental Performance Index

Black iris - A rare specious preserved in Jordan

Jordan ranked 64 among 133 countries in the 2006 pilot Environment Performance Index, a survey ranking nations in pollution control and natural resource management.

This track record should not be impressing at all and the country could have done better in rankings because Jordan is not an industrial country with heavy polluting industries. The Ministry of Environment last year created the Environmental Police Department to inspect factories, industrial zones and picnic areas and to track down violators, but, the development in Jordan is done without regards to the impact on the environment and the sustainable development.

The Environment Performance Index (EPI) centers on two broad environmental protection objectives: 1) reducing environmental stresses on human health and 2) protecting ecosystem vitality gauged in six policy categories, including environmental health, air quality, water resources, productive natural resources, biodiversity and habitat, and sustainable energy.

Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance index

The report placed Jordan among countries characterized with good management of biodiversity and natural resources, making the Kingdom the only Arab country named for preserving biodiversity and environmental regulations.

In countries where deserts constitute over 50 per cent of the total area, Jordan ranked fifth.

This category, according to the report, takes into consideration the unique ecological challenges these countries face and subsequent water management and ecosystem vulnerability issues that arise.

Lets take more serious acts in Jordan toward sustainable development.

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

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Did Jordan transperancy decline over the past year

Transparency International (TI) has ranked Jordan 53rd on its 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), a setback from 40th last year.
However, TI sees the decline as “statistically insignificant”.
In its annual CPI, which covered the perceptions of public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories, Jordan scored 4.7, whereas in 2006 of the global watchdog scored the country at 5.3.
According to the 2007 CPI, Jordan ranked 5th in the Middle East along with Oman. Both countries were preceded by Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar and Israel respectively. Also in the region, Kuwait ranked 60, Saudi Arabia 79, Lebanon 99, Yemen 131, Libya 131, Iran 131, Syria 138 and Iraq 178.
The CPI is a composite index that draws on 14 expert opinion surveys. It scores countries on a scale from zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of perceived corruption and 10 indicating low levels. It scores countries in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.
Survey questions focused on corruption in the public sector and defined corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. Surveys also included questions that related to the misuse of public power for private benefit, such as bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds or questions that probe the strength of anti-corruption policies, to make sure they encompass both administrative and political corruption.
According to this year's CPI, Somalia and Myanmar share the lowest score of 1.4 while Denmark has edged up to share the top score of 9.4 with perennial highflyers Finland and New Zealand.

Thats surprising to see Denmark at the top of the list, was it related to the Prophet Mohammad's insults in the media?

Over the past year the Kingdom has created an anti-corruption commission and endorsed several laws on the issue such as the Financial Disclosure Law, the Access to Information Law and a law criminalizing the practice of wasta (favouritism).

Jordan transparency forum described the Survey as "biased", disputed the results and stepped back from the TI.
What do you think about the survey?

Going backward - Government to Monitor the freedom of Electronic Media

AMMAN -Jordan Times
A government decision to scrutinize contents of web-based news services has drawn angry reaction from press groups, with the Jordan Press Association (JPA) describing the move as “a step backward” in the Kingdom’s stride towards a free press.
The association called on the government to reconsider its decision, which it said would have devastating impact on freedom of expression, according to Tareq Momani, head of the JPA.
“We strongly reject monitoring electronic media,” he told The Jordan Times on Monday, adding the measure contradicts His Majesty King Abdullah’s vision for a free press.
“Electronic media has become a driving force among media organisations as far as freedom of expression and objective reporting are concerned. We must encourage them to continue their honourable work, instead of impeding their progress.”
Officials at the Press and Publications Department (PPD) confirmed they have begun monitoring materials published on local news websites.
According to Mohammad Quteishat, head of the PPD, the legal definition of “publication” places electronic journalism in the print media category.
Citing Article II of the Press and Publications Law, endorsed by Parliament earlier this year, Quteishat said a publication is defined as “every publishing outlet that portrays ideas or thoughts in any form”.
“This definition clearly indicates that electronic media is under our jurisdiction… What applies to print media applies to electronic media in terms of legal responsibility,” Quteishat told The Jordan Times, noting that his department’s job is limited to referring cases of electronic media violations for prosecution.
“We are not going to censor contents of websites. But if there was a breach of law, we will take necessary measures,” said Quteishat.
He stressed the department has no right to shut down or revoke the licence of any publication in case of violation.

According to one leading journalist, who runs a news website, there is no need, so far, to obtain a licence for such sites from authorities.
The PPD said the decision was based on an interpretation of the Press and Publications Law by the Legislative Bureau at the Prime Ministry, which tags electronic media as part of the other forms of media such as print media.
The Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists issued a statement on Monday lambasting the government for the step, seen as a way to “muzzle press freedoms”.
The centre said its legal department concluded that subjecting electronic media to censorship is against the law.

The first thing that came to my mind was:

Why they want to control the electronic media instead of blocking Pornographic web sites? Or anti-religion websites, anti-Arab, racist websites, etc. Or we just want to keep our citizens ignorant, shut their minds, cut the resources for expression and communication?

This is a clear contradiction to the principle of the freedom of expression as "sky is the limit" as our King advocates. Why don't the decision makers in this country don't understand or know how to follow the leadership of our King?

Electronic journalism is part of alternative media, which has opened way to a higher degree of press freedom and mainstream media. This is a step backward, to the development of our country, and the future of democracy in Jordan. Sending us to the dark ages again!

However, I am not sure how this can be implemented?

Will they block "some" websites or "Blogs"? or can they control the comments? What about the forums: local, regional, and global forums. Or the Web2.0 user based websites ...

No no no no ...whoever thought of this decision doesn't really understand the electronic press, or what is the Alternative Media and doesn't respect the freedom of speech that our king advocates.

Amman city traffic congestions

AMMAN (Petra) - The Traffic Department has prepared a new plan to address traffic congestion and limit road accidents during the holy month of Ramadan.
“The comprehensive plan seeks to facilitate traffic movement by identifying trouble spots and finding alternative routes for motorists in order to reduce car jams on main roads during peak hours,” said Brigadier General Thaher Gharaibeh, assistant director general for Traffic Affairs at the Public Security Department (PSD).
The peak hours begin when people leave work and last until iftar (maghreb prayers), he added.
Under the plan, large vehicles, including trucks and tankers, will be banned from using the streets during this period, while PSD helicopters will monitor congested roads and report accidents to the main traffic operations room.
With the help of Amen FM and PSD personnel, motorists will be guided to alternative routes.
“The Traffic Department coordinated its efforts with the Public Transport Regulatory Committee (PTRC) to assign PTRC personnel at the main bus terminals to regulate the movement of buses and vehicles,” Gharaibeh said.
The department also coordinated with the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) regarding technical measures, including traffic light operations and removal of road blocks on main streets.
“Traffic light durations on main roads witnessing traffic congestion will be amended in accordance with the end of office hours during Ramadan,” Gharaibeh noted.
He added that PSD and GAM personnel will carry out inspection patrols of street vendors and stalls on main roads in order to facilitate traffic flow.
He said the department has taken all the required administrative measures to ensure that the comprehensive plan will be implemented during the holy month, adding that PSD staff will be stationed on the capital’s busy roads to monitor traffic.

Traffic congestion is a serious problem in major cities. If the city have been planned correctly it might prevent serious traffic problems that have it's impact on the environment and the economy. On the other hand, smart technology solutions can help solving those problems. For example: using a real time based GIS (geographic information system) used with GPS (global positioning system) can show traffic flow on real time with navigation systems installed in police patrols, trucks, taxis, and smart phones. Also, since Amman city is not been planned to accept that much traffic or density of population we need to implement smart solutions to manage traffic, and provide transportation alternatives, as I mentioned in my previous post.

Some solutions in major cities like London implemented congestion pricing fees for driving at certain routes during rush hours. Similar studies are being discussed in NY city to adapt similar policies to charge drivers $8. They did not ban trucks or tankers from driving during rush hours due to it's negative consequences on businesses. Not like this new plan for Amman City traffic control in Ramadan. Will it be an effective measures to control traffic? or it's just a beta test, trial and error, maybe it works?

As for the "coordination" efforts between: Traffic Department with the Public Transport Regulatory Committee and the Municipality I am surprised that they weren't doing this already? and they do this only in Ramadan?

I always like to bring examples from other developed countries, to learn from it and not criticize anybody. If you study the developed cities police departments you can find their intensive efforts in operating and controlling traffic and transportation. You can see and feel the presence of the police department all over the city, they are highly equipped with communication devices, know how to deal with traffic jams, they are sharp and well educated. On a larger perspective, the police department that implement effectively the city rules have great influence on the citizens. Developed cities have a well rounded, smart, educated personnels because this is how they can give order and educate their citizens, they are the representatives of the governments.

Finally, the new development plan for Amman City expansion need to make transportation, traffic, and parking as a very serious issue to be studied "comprehensively" and "responsively"
to prevent serious future problems. Moreover, it must go hand by hand with all other public and private sectors to ensure the effectiveness of traffic and transportation initiatives in Amman City.

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

Creating digital maps and maps content for Jordan

Satellite image of Jordan

I’ve been digging into the GIS (geographic information systems) for the past year. I attended where2.0 conference in San Jose, Google Developers day, Yahoo Where2.0 camp ..etc. and met many mapping companies representatives, developers, cartographers, neorographers…ect.

First of all there are only two companies that collect the data: Navteq, and tele-Atlas who provide the data to be used by platforms like: multimaps, Google maps, Yahoo maps, MSN Live, Mapquest, Autocad and others who compete with each other to provide mapping services.

According to my talks with Tele-atlas and Navteq in June 2007 they did not and is not interested in collecting the data for Jordan. They recently covered most of the middle east but all the other platforms didn’t provide the services yet.

The GAM are trying to organize the parcel services so when Navteq or Tele-atlas comes to Jordan they will have a strategic local partner.

What does that mean to us?

Getting road maps with driving directions “Geo codding” is not a 5 day work, and can’t be done by a simple GPS devices, or not even by the GAM alone. It needs millions of dollars with expertise to collect such the data and Geo code it.

Each country have a different numbering and road systems. When tele-atlas went to china they faced difficulties in the existing numbering system but they did it.

I bet they were both shocked when they saw our streets and that why the GAM is developing the street numbering which will be done by the end of this year.

Moreover, I wanna mention that Autocad mapguide depends on landmarks to collect data and not streets which I believe best fit cities like Amman, Cairo, Tunis, etc.

But now I have to say this:

It’s just the beginning for many many many initiatives and opportunities.

If anybody is interested to play with maps and create miracles please contact me @ emadsalameh@gmail.com.

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GIS Amman

South Dakota traffic flow map

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) intends to use the Geographic Information System (GIS), as part of a plan to upgrade services and enhance performance. Director of the Geographic information Technology department in the Municipality Eng. Hassan Kaswani said that this system would allow to locate GAM’s vehicles in any part of the city. “Such technology would help us to ensure that every vehicle is in the right place at the right time to serve the citizens,” he added. More than 95 per cent of GAM’s work depends geographic data and information.

GIS is a system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the earth. In the strictest sense, it is a computer system capable of integrating, storing, editing, analyzing, sharing, and displaying geographically-referenced information. In a more generic sense, GIS is a tool that allows users to create interactive queries (user created searches), analyze the spatial information, edit data, maps, and present the results of all these operations. Geographic information science is the science underlying the geographic concepts, applications and systems, taught in degree and GIS Certificate programs at many universities.

Geographic information system technology can be used for scientific investigations, resource management, asset management, Environmental Impact Assessment, Urban planning, cartography, criminology, history, sales, marketing, and logistics. For example, GIS might allow emergency planners to easily calculate emergency response times in the event of a natural disaster, GIS might be used to find wetlands that need protection from pollution.

Rainbow street transformed to a shopping hub

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) said it has completed the first and second phases of the renovation and development project of Abu Bakr street, Rainbow, at a cost of JD 826,000. Director of the Works Department in GAM Eng. Adel Rosan said GAM will start the third phase before the mid of this month noting that the duration of the project is 8 months, but the municipality will complete the project before its planned time. The street will be designated for the pedestrians and the small vehicles. The project includes tiling, expand the sidewalk, designate two parking zones and rearrange the shops front sides. The project is one of several similar projects to develop the Amman downtown to attract tourists and citizens and to make the area as a shopping hub.

Amman with it's east and west part is experiencing a lot of transformations. Wither it's the Towers and high density buildings, architectural styles, or urban centers.
The current pedestrian streets in Amman are Thaqafah in Shmeisani neighborhood, Wakalt in Swefieh, and recently the Rainbow street in Jabal Amman.
Having pedestrian friendly locations is important to Amman city urban development. However, I see these projects locations are transforming those places into a modern, commercial, and a market for investors to buy and sell properties.

If we look at Jara for example, it did transform Jabal Amman to a new commercial magnet and it didn't respect the history of the neighborhood. The neighborhood around Jara is unique and famous of traditional houses but Alas...moreover it's going to be connected to the rainbow under-construction commercial strip transforming it to a mall-ish street type neighborhood attracting a crowd of noisy teenagers hanging out, and the pollution that comes from the market.

Renovation can have many meanings, it might mean transforming and it might mean conserving. Changing residential neighborhood into mixed-use districts, have impact on the place, it's people, and it's identity.
We have a lot of history and character that shaped the identity of Amman city that's unique with it's buildings, streets and neighborhoods. Unfortunately, it's being transforming in a fast pace trying to catch up with the opportunity of capitalizing in it paying it's price at the cost of it's identity, and the comfort of the existing neighbors.

What do you think?

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Building what and why Amman?

From an out of place architecture to an out of place identities.

"The Transformers"

Amman City Streets

Facebook opens to Public Search - Save your Privacy

One of the great features of Facebook was privacy. You could be assured that what was in Facebook remained in Facebook. However, that illusion might be ending soon.
Facebook launched a “public listing search” which allows anyone to search for a specific person. The company says that the information being revealed through these listings is minimal and much less than the information available to someone logged into the Facebook network. Here is what I found when I logged in Facebook:In a month from now, these public listings are going to be find their way into search engine indexes. “We are giving users approximately one month to set their privacy options before we allow search engines to index these public search listings,” the company spokeswoman wrote in an email.

This development is going to strike fear in the hearts of teenagers, with 29,404 users in Jordan network today, when they find their information being available in search engines who just want to connect with their friends in close networks, don't necessary want to be found publicly.

According to Scott Karp from Publishing2.0, the problem for business users (which you can add to the other facebook problems for businesses), is that there’s not a lot of utility in having a public profile if the details are locked behind a garden wall that prospective business contacts are forced to scale in order to gain access.

Think broadly however, this is another small step in the overall erosion of personal privacy. I don't like the direction where all this is headed. We are slowly leaving digital litter all over the web, and some day it is going to cause problems.

What do you think?

Amman City Parade

(NYC thanksgiving parade photo by Emad Salameh )

Amman is a cultural city that needs to celebrate it’s arts and people in it’s own streets that shapes it’s environment.

Why don’t we have an annual parade to celebrate Amman City it’s environment and culture by marching in the streets form different organizations, associations, businesses, schools, clubs with diverse ethnicities, believes, and origins.

It is challenging but lets see the feedback and if we can get the blessing from the municipality to sponsor one or support it.

We marched for politics opposing, and condemning, or supporting, and blessing. Shouldn’t we march for our city it’s culture, and environment?

We march for peace, love, education, honor, and, most important, we march for the environment.

Let’s show how we, the citizens, can work together side by side with the leadership of our king and the government in building this country.

We need to start thinking about a campaign building a movement to celebrate our city and it’s people and culture.