Khaberni - In a step aimed at enhancing the safety of children and improving the traffic environment surrounding schools, the Zaha Cultural Center launched the initiative of calming streets "Safe and Sustainable Streets for Our Children: Together Towards a Friendly and Safe Environment for Children and Caregivers," in collaboration with the Department of Traffic Engineering, Sidewalk Department at the Greater Amman Municipality, the Directorate of Education, Central Traffic Department, the Directorate of Public Security, the Transport Regulatory Authority, Van Leer Organization, and Superpool Foundation, in front of Um Al-Summaq North Mixed Secondary School.
The initiative aims to improve the urban environment around the school by providing safe pedestrian walkways, calming traffic movement, reducing speeds, and minimizing interaction between vehicles and students, thereby enhancing traffic safety and reducing congestion. It also includes redesigning the main street surrounding the school to be safer and more sustainable through educational traffic elements and community activities that enhance the culture of respecting pedestrian rights and embedding traffic awareness.
The initiative witnessed the implementation of field drawings on the main street and sidewalks surrounding the school, with the participation of specialized trainers and volunteers from the Zaha Cultural Center and the local community. These drawings were inspired by a concept that places children and caregivers at the heart of public spaces, reflecting the importance of designing the urban environment based on their daily needs during the school commute and contributing to enhancing the school area's identity and raising the drivers' awareness of the children's presence around them.
Rania Subeih, the Executive Director of the Zaha Cultural Center, affirmed that the initiative aligns with the center's vision of providing safe and friendly environments for children, highlighting the importance of partnerships with national institutions and the local community in developing sustainable solutions that enhance student safety and improve the quality of life around schools. The launching of the initiative complements previous experiences of Zaha Center in improving traffic safety and calming traffic near its centers in Khalda and Aqaba.
On her part, Farah Jadallah, the representative of the Van Leer Organization in Jordan, expressed her happiness with this initiative reaching the vicinity of schools, considering it among the most impactful places in the daily lives of children and closely linked to their safety and well-being.
She emphasized that investing in improving the environment around schools not only serves the students but also extends its impact to families, caregivers, and the entire local community, noting that providing safer school streets and areas represents a significant step towards more child-friendly cities and better quality of life for everyone.
This project is part of broader efforts to promote the concept of safe streets around schools, transforming their surroundings into safer urban environments designed with children and caregivers at the core of urban planning.
