Social Disparities and Public Policies in Amman

Abstract

Social disparities within Amman continue to grow stronger between the Eastern and the Western parts of the city. These disparities tie in with morphological differences between informal housing communities developed near the Palestinian camps of Wahdat and Jabal Hussein, with their self-built buildings; and West Amman neighbourhoods with family-owned four storey buildings, interspersed with villas and office blocks. They reflect types of activity, degrees of citizenship (between Trans-Jordanians, Jordanians of Palestinian origin who receive services and aid from UNRWA and refugees holding only travel documents), but also lifestyles and perceptions of others. These disparities are all the more evident because the expansion of the city of Amman not only by-passes the eastern suburbs via corridors of development (to the east and the south), but has also complicated travel for workers from these underprivileged neighbourhoods since the Abdali bus station was moved in 2007 to Tabarbour to create green spaces near the new town centre under construction. But what exactly do these designations of East Amman and West Amman mean? Which areas and neighbourhoods do they represent? After having represented the spatial disparities in the Hashemite capital using cartography, this chapter will outline the different public policies (upgrading, social housing) implemented to resolve the gap between East and West within the city of Amman.