Khaberni -On behalf of the Jordanian government, the Public Housing and Urban Development Corporation presented the second national report for the new urban plan follow-up, as a political and institutional commitment, issued by the third UN conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, Habitat III, held in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016.
The New Urban Agenda aims to direct urban development in the world towards more sustainable, inclusive, safe, and resilient cities over the coming years. It is based on several pillars such as justice and urban inclusion, sustainability and resilience, economic prosperity and urban development, and urban governance and community participation.
The Kingdom’s efforts to improve its global ranking are evident, including achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially target 11: to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. In the specific objectives of this goal, we find a focus on ensuring that everyone has access to adequate, safe, and affordable housing, improving poor neighborhoods, and also providing safe and sustainable transport systems for all, with a focus on vulnerable groups, and promoting comprehensive and sustainable urban planning, and ensuring access for all to affordable and safe public spaces, especially for women, children, and the elderly.
In the timeline of the agenda, we find that five years remain to achieve what has been stated, so are we close to achieving this goal and the additional sixteen goals?
An analysis of the periodic assessment published by the United Nations shows that Jordan ranked 77th out of 166 countries in 2023, and fell to 85th out of 167 countries in 2024, so why this decline?
In urban planning, the plan aims to create cohesive and interconnected cities that reduce carbon emissions. So, has the policy to reduce car taxes helped decrease the number of private vehicles or has it increased them? Have the government launched projects for light railways or provided urban spaces for bicycles and walking? Anyone reviewing the report provided will find on page (57) an evasion of discussing this topic, which lowers the quality of life in the cities, and will affect the upcoming evaluations of the Kingdom.
In the field of urban governance and community participation, aimed at enhancing multi-level and decentralized governance, and involving citizens in urban decision-making, has this been applied in Jordan?
It is true that there is strong legislation in Jordan regulating urban governance, which is the Cities, Villages and Buildings Regulation Law No. 79 of 1966, which explicitly defines three levels of planning: Regional Plans, Structural/Master Plans, and Detailed Plans.
These levels are compatible with the principle of multi-level governance and aim to direct urban development within a participatory framework through local, regional, and higher committees. The problem is that this law is almost frozen, although many building regulations issued under it are continuously modified, but the original remains fixed or obscured. All provinces (except Aqaba and some development areas) lack regional or structural plans, so how is urban growth controlled without these plans, and would Amman have merged with Ruseifa and Zarqa to the east and Salt to the west forming excessive urban agglomeration if there were structural plans regulating the urban envelope, definitely not.
Regarding decentralization and multilevel governance explicitly stipulated by the Urban Agenda, it exists formally through local committees in municipalities, regional regulatory committees, and the Higher Planning Council. However, crucial decisions are still centralized in Amman or by higher authorities like the Ministry of Local Administration or the Higher Planning Council, and elected municipal councils often have limited authority in major planning issues. There is a weakness in delegating technical powers to provincial councils, and decentralization is still more administrative than planning-oriented, and their budgets are so modest that they can not afford to build a model school in a province.
The pursuit to achieve the goals of the Urban Agenda helps the Kingdom alleviate traffic congestions that consume budgets, time, and the nerves of residents, and reduces the pressure on infrastructure. Water is no longer able to reach higher floors, sewage networks are overwhelmed, housing costs have risen beyond what even middle-income earners can afford, and informal neighborhoods have spread even to areas in western Amman, with Sweileh being a prime example.
Therefore, while it is commendable that the report has been submitted, the lesson lies in its implementation, which keeps us from achieving those goals. Do we have the luxury of time to achieve the goals of the new urban plan by 2030.
