Gentrification in Jordan: The Abdali Redevelopment project as a case study

By Ruba Alomary (Ferrara University) |

The purpose of this research is to examine and define gentrification in the context of Amman’s Abdali Urban Redevelopment Project. Demonstrating the implications of the Abdali project on the urban fabric in the context of gentrification.Gentrification has attracted widespread attention since its birth in London and several east coast U.S cities in the 50s and 60s. Nowadays gentrification is a process experienced by cities around the world not only confined in the global North (Lees, Shin, & López-Morales, 2016).

Case Study: The Abdali redevelopment project was launched in 2003 on government-owned land formerly a military site (brownfield). Embodied the largest single plot of land within the city of Amman that is available for private development, by relying on the agendas of privatization and liberalization, considering the private sector to be the main engine for growth.The Abdali project is still an ongoing project with two phases to be completed. Although the project faced several obstacles leading to the suspension of construction for years, before the completion of the first phase and the official opening in 2014.

Methodology & findings: The researcher employed mixed methods approach by integrating spatial maps and quantitative data represented by statistical indicators to investigate the research questions. The findings have revealed that although the project has been impacting the residential and commercial fabric in the adjacent area in terms of land-use change, displacement for residents, properties values augmentation and traffic problems. There is a lack of data available on a sufficiently granular temporal and spatial scale & a lack of empirical evidence of the extent of the displacement occurring in the examined area. To overcome this limitation the researcher will employ a qualitative approach to infer the patterns and processes of displacement.