Send your suggestions to GAM

Let's make a difference. let's be part of shaping the future of Amman, be proactive and share your recommendations and opinions comments on the Amman master plan and other projects GAM intend to implement.

Go to http://www.ammancityblog.com and send your comments and suggestions to Mr. Maani, The Mayor of Amman City.

GAM invites public to e-mail opinions, suggestions

AMMAN (Petra) - The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Saturday called on the public to take part in roundtable discussions on the future of Amman through e-mails to GAM’s website. Citizens are invited to send their recommendations and opinions on the Amman Master Plan and other projects GAM intends to implement. Last month, GAM held weekly roundtable discussions, in which Amman Mayor Omar Maani and experts from both the private and the public sectors participated. Maani said such meetings aim to open the door for discussions and dialogue between various members of society to exchange ideas and views, adding that GAM believes in dialogue as a cornerstone for developing communities and economies.

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Amman City Parade

Volunteer in Amman

More NGOs or more money makers

Regional organizations maps, map by Aris Katsaris

With our limited resource in Jordan, funds to support projects for development by humanitarian aids can be supported by the regional and World NGOs. The majority of our citizens don't live in Towers, and gated communities they are living in poverty and they need support, and humanitarian aid. We market for Jordan to investors showing proposals of High Rise buildings, Malls, hotels, and compounds, instead of marketing for the world NGOs (non governmental organizations). These real estate investments will give it's benefits to the rich real estate brokers "developers" in Jordan expanding the gap of the rich and poor.
We need to reach more NGOs to invest in Jordan, by showing the areas that needs development and not showing High rises investments that will only bring to us business men and will push the NGOs away. We need to market for building Factories, and Farms, marketing for getting more Jobs to the country.

Abdali Project, photo by: Emad Salameh

In Russia, they have 400,000 NGOS, and in India estimated to have between: 1 to 2 million.

How many NGOs do we have in Jordan? Please send me the list if you have it.

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We need Amman to be environmentaly sustainable and green
Regarding the new GAM Interim Strategy
Amman City Streets
Building what and why Amman?

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

Housing for Limited income people bought by High income people.

Saraya Aqaba, 1 villa cost JD1.5 million which also buy 75 housing units at Al-Majd affordable Housing project, photo by Emad Salameh

"Construction work on the $350 million Madinat Al Majd project in Zarqa, which entails the creation of 18,500 residential units targeting limited-income people, began on Wednesday.

The residential city, to be created over 2 million square metres and accommodate some 50,000 inhabitants, will include houses of different sizes that will be sold at “affordable” prices starting from JD18,000 per apartment.

Madinat Al Majd also house a large mosque, schools, a medical community, cultural and shopping centres.

The first phase of the project, which will see the construction of some 500 housing units, will be completed in one year, adding that the project will help meet the increasing demand for small-sized apartments.

A recent study on civil servants conducted by HUDC indicated the demand for such apartments exceeds 60,000 while the total demand for housing in the Kingdom currently stands at 200,000 units.

Madinat Al Majd, the first housing project to be developed for the limited-income segment, will be a significant architectural landmark in Jordan. It would provide the wider community with the chance to own homes in a healthy environment for a monthly payment similar to what they would pay in rent.

Noting that the project is the result of cooperation between the public and private sectors, and it it has received the full support of the government.

Over the next six months, Tameer will announce a series of projects to be implemented in the Kingdom, including the construction of a residential city for high-income earning individuals, as well as towers, malls and commercial buildings.

Four residential cities will be built in the near future: One in Amman called “Ahl Alazm”, and three in the Balqa, Irbid and Aqaba governorates."

When I saw this project being marketed at Cityscape Dubai in Oct 2007, the first phase of the project with the 500 units were SOLD OUT during the first exhibition day for about 20,000 JD a unit, but, who bought them and for whom it was marketed at Cityscape Dubai 2007, the irony it was for the real estate brokers and the business buyers.

This project got the cooperation from the public and private sectors and the support and the blessing of the government as the first "affordable" housing project targeting the limited income, so we assume that the buyer is the limited income citizen.

When you position yourself as a limited income housing you need to make sure that the buyer is the limited income buyer and before you get the payments you need to ask for the bank statements and proofs that the buyer is in need for an affordable house, meeting your based targets.

Did this happen?

Maybe this goes to "lessons learned" category which we hear it often these days. However, in the next "Affordable" projects I wish this will be in forced.

Or it might go to the category of: " Investors incentives", "Special strategical planning", etc, etc

Related Posts:

We need Amman to be environmentaly sustainable and green

Regarding the new GAM Interim Strategy

Smoking in Public

Amman City Streets

Building what and why Amman?

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Our citizen

مسكين هذا المواطن ، المحني كعود ثقاب ، البسيط كسيجارة ، المهموم كمطارد، المنسي كشهيد ، ذو اللحية الشوكية و الشعر المموج ،ذو السعلة الحادة ،والصوت المخدوش بكلمة ، صاحب الضحكة المبتسرة ، والأسنان المثلمة ، والشفاه الزرقاء ، المحروم من كل شيء .ذلك العائد الى بيته بساقين نحيلتين ملتفتين فوق رصيف يومي لا تتغير ملامحه ولا تزداد أناته ، مسكين هذا المواطن.. لقد أصبح مثل (رسالة سلمى) كل يقرأه على هواه ..

المرشح يراه (صوتاً) يمشي على الأرض، كنترول الباص يراه (بريزة) ، وسائق الشاحنة يراه (قطة) ، وشرطي النجدة يراه (شبهة)، الغني يراه (صدقه) ،الخباز يراه (رغيفاً) ، الشحاذ يراه(رديفاً) ، الزوجة تراه (قسمة) ،والأولاد يرونه (صرافاً الياً) ،المؤجر يراه (شهراً) ، الحكومة تراه (رقماً)، ديوان الخدمة يراه (عبئاً) ، الليل يراه (جرذاً) ، أمريكا تراه (رصاصة) ،الأونروا تراه (قصاصة) ، الصليب الأحمر يراه (جرحاً)..وملك الموت يراه (زبوناً) مملاً..

*** ذات يوم وأثناء عودته ، توقف في منتصف الطريق ، دخل استديو عتيق ،التفت خائفاً ، ثم جلس على كرسي التصوير ، طلب صورة شخصية ليتأكد ( أي الأشياء هو ) ..لمع ضوء فضي على ملامحه الممسوحة، حرك المصور كرت الصورة ألف مره حتى جف اللون ثم ناولها للزبون الغريب ..تأملها الرجل جيداً، رفعها باتجاه الضوء الخافت ، ثم ضحك طويلاً... و... مات ...

أحمد حسن الزعبي

I was just hoping at the end of the poem when he looked at the picture that he WOKE UP!

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Elections Today ... Now and Then

Jordanian artist Wissam Shadid works on a 60 square metre piece of graffiti in Amman as part of a campaign led by the Jordan Media Strengthening Programme, an IREX media initiative, and other civil society organisations, aimed at stimulating more public participation in the November 20 parliamentary polls.
Hopefully we see more of these beautiful Graffiti after the elections. I hope that the same effort and enthusiasm will continue in promoting for awareness, volunteering, education, development, etc.
Many of our limited resources were spent on these campaigns. Will anyone be interested to spend as much money as they did in the last month to support a cause?
I heard that a single campaign cost about a $1 million. Not sure how much money were spent in total, add to that the lost opportunities of time and effort spent in campaigning. Will the same people be as much excited and aggressive in working for Amman city and Jordan? I wish it will be worth the effort to get the right people the right positions, so we say we do have an effective democracy.
In these coming years, Jordan is facing great opportunities if not challenges to stand as one of the best developing places in the region. This can be done if we have an effective leaders who have the competency to change and develop.
lets hope they will. But, I don't know yet who deserve my vote and whom I will be voting for!!!
Maybe I need another round in the streets of Amman to understand these banners, and ofcourse they were posted in the streets of the city targetting drivers since our lovely public spaces are streets made for people driving their cars.
So I wounder, after 4 years .... to be continued!This is something to talk about in my next post, like what most people say: After The Elections!

Jordan and the world On-line

"Recognize this planet? if your business is online, it's where your potential customers live."

Other countries:

Jordan %11.7 ( 0.63 million)
US %70
Israel %55
Sweden %77
Germany %61
China %10 (144 million)
UAE %35 ( 1.3 million)

In other data shows the following:

The percentage of internet penetration in the Arabic world is 2% from the world percentage
the average world growth is %250, and the Arabic world growth is %450, the highest in the world.

Other maps might show rates of poverty, diseases and health, forests and deserts, or growing trade and economy. I love maps, I will be searching for more maps and post them here, but unfortunately, in our nations we lack the availability of data and we think maps are only used for the Army or in a geography class. Woke up people! Not anymore...

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

Related Posts:
Rainbow street transformed to a shopping hub
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."

Related Posts:

Facebook opens to Public Search - Save your Privacy

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?

Related Posts:

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?


Related Posts:

Amman City Parade

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?

Related Posts:

We need Amman to be environmentaly sustainable and green

Regarding the new GAM Interim Strategy

Smoking in Public

Amman City Streets

Building what and why Amman?

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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