German Jordan University

School of Architecture and Built Environment

Department of Architecture

The political impact on spatial planning development in Amman

Migration Impact on Spatial Planning in

Amman

Supervisor:

Done by:

Prof. Christoph Zoepel

Tameer Mohammad Al-Battran

Dr. Kamal Jalouqa

2013618020

Table of Contents

Introduction . 3

Methodology 4

Results ..5

Demographic situation .7

Police impact on planning of Amman 11

Conclusion .13

Bibliography ...14

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Introduction:

Development of spatial planning of cities is shaped by the rapid increase in population. This
increase is due to many facets. Chief among them is the increase in migration that may occur
because of regional or global, economic or political instabilities (Pilder, 2011). During the last
century, global populations has tripled in number, growing from 1.7 billion at beginning of the
20th century to nearly 5.75 billion in 1995 (Durand 1977; United Nations Demographic
Yearbook1995). The rate of increase is far higher than has ever been recorded in human
history. In turn, spatial planning of the cities that we live in has to respond to this often sporadic
increase in population.

This essay, will present three of the most important socio-political factors that influenced the
patterns of spatial planning of the city of Amman. There is a strong and tangible relationship
between the sudden population increase between the years (1990-2014) and the spatial planning
in Amman. As the population has increased, the demand for previously undeveloped land was
expatiated as well. Due to volatile nature of the region, the city of Amman, the capital of the
Kingdom, has become the default destination for transient population on a temporary and
permanent status; and the urban landscape of the city became a site for both formal and informal
building.

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Methodology:
This essay is divided into two parts:
Part one reviews patterns of population growth in Jordan, and more specifically in Amman
before and after the three major events of (the Gulf, the Iraq and the Syrian war) and until year
of 2014. Part two explains how the sporadic increase of population influenced patterns of the
spatial planning in the city of Amman.
This essay is highly dependent upon course reading materials and on deductive analysis and
other information gained through course lectures on the topic of (Spatial Socio-Economic
Development Planning).

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Results:

Gulf war 1990-2002:

The period between 1990 and 2002, during and immediately processding the Gulf War, resulted
in a spike in population of 200, 000. This staggering number reflects the mass number of
refugees who relocated only to the areas of greater Amman municipality, and excluding all other
Jordanian regions.

Iraq war 2003:

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

Syrian Revolution of 2010:

The Syrian refugees crisis, a number that is continues on increasing are estimated at 800,000.
20% of these refugees are forced to live in camps; meanwhile the other 80% are living
sporadically in the rest of the Jordanian cities. Amman is host to 400,000 of these refugees.

Natural population increase and impacts:

Demographers track the dynamics of population growth, concentrating on rates of change, such
as the frequency of births and deaths and the average number of children per mother.
Demographers are also interested in rates of migration, especially changes in the rural and urban
populations. For any given population, the rate of increase that depends on the number of births
minus deaths is known as the natural increase. Population changes within any given settlement
space can arise from natural increase or from migration. (Gottdiener and Hutchison, 2011)

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The importance of spatial planning in the process of urban development has been recognized in
policy documents for several decades. As long ago as 1976, the Vancouver Declaration on
Human Settlements, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (also
known as the Habitat I Conference), identified the central role of spatial planning for future
urban development, stating that:
It is the responsibility of Governments to prepare spatial strategy plans and adopt human
settlement policies to guide the socio-economic development efforts. Such policies must be an
essential component of an overall development strategy, linking and harmonizing them with
policies on industrialization, agriculture, social welfare, and environmental and cultural
preservation so that each supports the other in a progressive improvement in well-being of all
mankind. A human settlement policy must seek harmonious integration or coordination of a
wide variety of components, including, for example, population growth and distribution,
employment, shelter, land use, infrastructure and services. Governments must create
mechanisms and institutions to develop and implement such a policy.

Spatial planning is usually concerned with identifying long- or medium-term objectives and
strategies for territories and coordinating sectorial policies such as transport, agriculture and
environment. The system of spatial planning can help deliver economic, social as well as
environmental benefits.

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

the Arab region:
Since its inception, Jordan suffered from the dire resultants of political and socio-economic
events mainly occurring in its neighboring countries. Where there was initially a defect in the
natural population growth, a series of periods of political turmoil have resulted expediential and
unanticipated growth of populations. The essay will review this unprecedented imbalance of
growth in the period between 1990 and 2014. This growth can be divided into three main
periods:

1-Gulf war 1990:

Out of a total population which increased from 18 to 24 million, maybe up to one and a half
million Iraqis left their country permanently between 1990 and end of 2002. An estimated
200,000 Iraqis took refuge in Jordan (Chatelard, 2009). The population of Jordan in the period
1989 was 2,896,800 and the annual growth rate at 4.11 percent, 1,576,238 was the population in
the city Amman at that time, which means that the rate of increase is approximately 200,000 as
direct result of the Gulf conflict.

4
3
2
1
0
1989

1990

1991

2002

population

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2-Iraq war 2003:

As a result of the outbreak of the Iraq war in 2003 and continuous sectarian wars, Iraqi middle
class as well as upper class groups with a bigger capital then the previous wave of refugees
started to move away from their homes. Their destination was to the immediate neighboring
countries or elsewhere. Jordan was one of the countries to have received the lion share of them.
It is estimated that during this period Jordan has received close to 800,000 Iraqi refugees.

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3- Syrian revolution 2010:

The continued influx of Syrian refugees is placing tremendous strains on the Jordanian
government. The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees in April 2014
estimated that there were 595,369 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, increasing the country's
population up to 10%. Some estimates suggest that the total Syrian refugee population in Jordan
could surge to over 800,000 by the end of 2014. Most Syrian refugees in Jordan have settled in
urban areas, with only 20% of refugees residing in campsprimarily the 80,000- person tent
city of Al Zaatari in northern Jordan (Sharp, 2014).
Most Syrians have preferred to reside in Amman, a natural choice because of the availability of
services and possibility of undocumented work Opportunities.

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Demographic situation of the city of Amman

in the last three crises of the Arab region
Gulf war
1990-2002

Iraq war
2003-2006

The war effected

200,000
proportion in the
city of Amman

The war effected

up normal increase
700,000
proportion in
Jordan

Syrian
evolution 20102014
800,000 immigrant
from Syria to Jordan
20% of them
refugees residing in
camps
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- Increase of people influenced the spatial planning in the city of Amman:

Demographers track the dynamics of population growth, concentrating on rates of change, such
as the frequency of births and deaths and the average number of children per mother.
Demographers are also interested in rates of migration, especially changes in the rural and urban
populations. For any given population, the rate of increase that depends on the number of births
minus deaths is known as the natural increase. Population changes within any given settlement
space can arise from natural increase or from migration. (Gottdiener and Hutchison, 2011)
Sprawl in urban planning increases with naturally in the population, as in this case, the planners
study the space and planning commensurate with the rest of the city, but the abnormal increasing
that results because of political problems for neighboring countries or any other reason resulting
random planning Cities.
By looking at the political problems of the Arab region or specifically for the countries
neighboring kingdom of Jordan, we will find that the politics situation in neighboring countries
have produced abnormally increased in the preparation of the population.
Total number of population in Jordan during the last 3 Decades:

year
1980
1990-2000
2000-2004
2004-2008
2008-2013

Million
2.18
4.80
5.29
5.91
More than 6.5

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By collecting the numbers of refuges in the city of Amman, we will find that the total is more
than 1,250,000 refuges. This drastic demographical change requires an appropriate change in the
spatial planning of the City. Many demographical challenges come into effect, and as a result
the general planning patterns of the City must change to address new challenges, which include:

1- The need to develop spaces for living.

2- The need to develop the road network.
3- The need to provide new urban areas.
4- The need to provide new health facilities.
5- The need to provide new educational facilities.
6- The need for a service-providing facilities.

The need to develop spaces for living:

The need to develop spaces for living is the most important issue facing the city while mitigating
uncontrolled urban sprawl, because of the sudden and unexpected increase in population that has
occurred in recent periods.

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The need to develop the road network:

The conventional solution usually put forward public forms to Ammans traffic problems is to
expand the citys road network. This in fact will cause more harm than good. New and expanded
roads tend to generate increased traffic and simply will create more insoluble traffic congestion
problems in the long term. In contrast, I have heard planners assert that for a city the size of
Amman, the existing road network is more than adequate. The solution to the citys
compounding traffic congestion problems accordingly does not lie in more roads, but in a more
effective management of Ammans existing road network. (CSBE, 2007)

The need to provide new urban areas:

Additional beneficial aspects of urban open space can be factored into how valuable it is
compared to other urban development. One study categorizes these measures of value into six
groups: utility, function, contemplative, aesthetic, recreational, and ecological (Berry and David,
1976). Abnormal population increase in Amman requires an immediate increase on urban
spaces suitable for multitude of socio-economic needs.

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Conclusion:
The struggles of the Arab region of the last three decades have widely influenced the shape and
design of spatial planning of city of Amman. The events of the three wars, the Gulf War (1990),
the Iraq war (2003) and revolution of Syria (2010), resulted in the arrival of multitudes of
refugees. This influx of humanity has all aspects of the spatial planning and the built
environment.
Urban sprawl is due increase naturally with the anticipated growth in population numbers.
However, as in this case of Amman, due to abnormal increase in population numbers as result
enforceable political events the urban sprawl will be chaotic and uncontrolled at best.

The total number of refugees in the city of Amman is estimated at more than 1,250,000 refuges.
. This drastic demographical change requires an appropriate change in the spatial planning of the
City. Many demographical challenges come into effect, and as a result the general planning
patterns of the City must change to address new challenges, which include:
-

The need to develop spaces for living.

The need to develop the road network.

The need to provide new urban areas.

The need to provide new health facilities.

The need to provide new educational facilities.

The need for a service-providing facilities.

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Bibliography:
Berry, David. "Preservation of Open Space and the Concept of Value." American Journal of
Economics and Sociology 1976. Pp 113124.
Cincotta,R., & Engelman, R.(1997). Economics and Rapid Change: The Influence of Population
Growth.
Ruther, M., H. (2012). Essays on the Spatial Clustering of Immigrants and Internal Migration
within the United States. Department of Justice. United States.
KURK1, I. Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning. The Influence of Demographic Aging
on the Potential Labour Market Supply vol. 1, no. 2 (2010) 117-124.

(Chapter 12 in Stone, E. (ed.) 1999: Disability and Development: Learning from action and
research on disability in the majority world, Leeds: The Disability Press pp. 193-209).
International Crisis Group Iraq Backgrounder: What Lies Beneath, ICG, (October 1,
2002).
Sharp J., M. (2014). Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations. Washington, United States of
America.

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