Amman: Mayor of Amman, Yousef Shawarbeh, emphasized Amman’s leadership in green growth and climate resilience in the region.
During the launch of a new World Bank report titled “Amman’s Future is at a Turning Point: Three Strategies to Achieve Climate-Smart Spatial Transformation,” Shawarbeh noted that the city has initiated ambitious plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This goal places Amman as a unique leader in the Middle East and North Africa.
Shawarbeh commended the partnership with the World Bank Group in preparing the report, highlighting it as a significant opportunity to enhance communication with international partners and leverage global expertise in urban development. This collaboration aims to create a sustainable road-map for Amman’s future, contributing to economic growth, comprehensive development, and the city’s resilience and sustainability.
The report advocates for a dynamic use of land, aligning with the planned expansion of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network. The World Bank is
assisting the municipality in using spatial data for city planning.
Shawarbeh detailed that the municipality’s strategic plan for 2022-2026 incorporates royal directives, national goals, global sustainable development goals, and citizens’ needs, focusing on four main areas: quality of life and environment, transportation and traffic solutions, infrastructure, investment, and legislative development.
Holly Penner, the World Bank Group’s resident representative in Jordan, stated that the report offers urban and spatial planning solutions that promote economic growth, job creation, service improvement, and enhanced quality of life for Amman’s residents, with participation from all sectors.
Jon Kher Kaw from the World Bank presented an overview of the report, its strategies, and the challenges facing the city. The report identifies pathways to unlock land-based financing opportunities and private sector engagement, combining advanced analytical work and extensive assistance activities in partnership with the m
unicipality on smart city approaches to urban development, including low-carbon growth scenarios.
The report recommends three strategic actions: improving spatial and integrated planning across sectors at city and neighborhood levels, prioritizing reforms and major investments within limited resources, and leveraging public assets to promote land value recovery.
The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring officials from Amman Municipality, the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, Wael Al-Masry Planners and Architects, the United Nations Human Settlements Program in Jordan, and the C40 Network.
Source: Jordan News Agency