Financing Housing Transformation in Informal Settlements in Jordan

This paper aims to examine how housing transformation is financed in informal settlements in Jordan. A quantitative method was seen as an appropriate approach to deal with the research objectives. The Baqa'a Palestinian refugee camp was targeted as the biggest informal settlement in terms of the number of population and housing units. Findings reveal that construction and housing transformation took place over three separate periods of time and was influenced both by increasing family size over time and improvement in a family's income. Irregular financing played a major role in increasing housing transformation and expansion of informal settlements. Regression analysis results demonstrate that irregular financing has a significant impact on housing transformation. As a result, this paper confirms that the process of construction and housing transformation is incremental

Housing Conditions in Palestinian Refugee Camps, Jordan

This paper evaluates the quality of housing in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan. More than two million registered refugees live in Jordan, most of whom living in thirteen refugee camps established in the late 1960s following the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1967. Many of these camps are characterized by poor living conditions and associated health, social and environmental problems. However, there is scant empirical evidence regarding the quality of the housing in these camps. This paper addresses this gap by reporting on the findings of a questionnaire survey of 382 household units in Baqa’a Camp, the largest of the camps. The quantitative survey was triangulated by a series of extensive fieldwork visits to the area. Findings reveal that the housing in the camp is generally substandard. Poor structure and maintenance are key problems and this paper identifies and discusses various challenges, political and practical, that stand in the way of housing improvements. The paper concludes by suggesting that new models of ownership and responsibility need to be forged between the stakeholders in order to break the current stalemate of inaction

The Impact of Urbanization on Cultural Heritage Buildings in Jordan: As-Salt as a Case Study

Uncontrolled urbanization in developing countries provides opportunities to create changes in cultural heritage. However, the relationship between the urbanization process and changes that appeared over time in cultural heritage buildings needs to be thoroughly investigated and empirically examined. This paper fills this gap by examining As-Salt in Jordan as a city inscribed on the World Heritage List. A cross-sectional survey methodology was adopted to collect data. The findings reveal that urbanization has led to physical changes in heritage buildings at a medium level. The number of occupants and rental revenues have contributed significantly to changes in heritage buildings. The study suggests that the impact of urbanization on heritage buildings can be controlled if urban policies consider the socioeconomic benefits of heritage buildings for residents. Future research is encouraged to further explore the topic by examining other cities in the Middle East since comparative research can enrich knowledge and improve urban policies to manage cultural heritage efficiently

Planning and managing the built environment in the context of compliance with residential standards in Jordan

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Spatial and Environmental Planning Challenges in Amman, Jordan

The objective of this paper is to identify the key spatial and environmental housing related challenges facing Amman and to consider them in the context of past, present and future planning policies. The paper reports on face-to-face, in-depth interviews conducted with planning professionals based in Amman, designed to explore their concerns regarding current planning issues and their proposals for addressing them. Information from local and international literature has been used to contextualize the findings. The study revealed that current planning legislation, poorly implemented, has resulted in uncontrolled land use, water shortages, increased energy consumption, road congestion, air pollution, and ineffective waste management. The research identified a range of policies proposed by planning professionals for ameliorating past errors and providing a more sustainable and healthy environment. These proposals include: an enforceable legal framework, updated planning and design regulations, private/public partnerships, the enhancement of public participation and greater professionalization of the planning sector. The paper concludes by benchmarking these against the aims of the latest planning policy document, Amman 2025

Enhancing City Logistics for Sustainable Development in Jordan: A Survey-Based Study

Background: The global concern for the environment and sustainable development goals has led to a growing focus on the increasing activities of city logistics. This research study aims to evaluate the current state of city logistics within the framework of sustainable development and analyze the key factors that impact the efficient management of city logistics in Jordan. Methods: To achieve these research objectives, a quantitative approach utilizing a survey questionnaire was employed. The findings emphasize a significant disparity between current practices in city logistics and desired outcomes, indicating an urgent need for improvement in cost reduction, enhancement of quality of life, and promotion of sustainability. Results: The results reveal that the performance of urban authorities in managing city logistics is influenced by various factors, including regulatory inefficiencies, suboptimal human resource performance, deficiencies in information systems, and challenges related to coordination amongst stakeholders. Conclusions: Consequently, this paper puts forth actionable recommendations for improving city logistics management, which involve amending existing regulations, implementing comprehensive training programs for employees, strengthening infrastructure for information systems, and fostering robust communication channels between urban authorities and stakeholders

Factors Affecting Compliance with Residential Standards in the City of Old Salt, Jordan

The aim of this paper is to examine the factors which impact on the extent to which urban housing complies with residential standards in the city of Old Salt based in Jordan. The research found that the level of compliance with residential standards is quite low and can vary from one standard to another and from one house to another due to differences in the socio-economic characteristics among people. The findings of multiple regression analysis reveal that there is a good level of public awareness of residential standards, but this does not result in complete compliance with residential standards. Factors, such as household income per month, household size, finance facilities, municipal administration culture, monitoring, enforcement and the uncertainty of residential standards have a significant impact on the extent of compliance with planning standards. Suggestions for improved urban planning practices which address these issues are summarised in the paper and include reassessed current residential standards through comprehensive legal framework, linking residential standards with urban design approaches, changing planning practices, developing information systems to produce effective monitoring systems of construction processes and enforcement mechanism, the development of local staff including planners, designers and environmental engineers, supported partnerships between private and public sectors, and the use of participatory planning and citizen involvement

Nadir PSA is a strong predictor of treatment outcome in intermediate and high risk localized prostate cancer patients treated by definitive external beam radiotherapy and androgen deprivation

Abstract Background The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of tumor characteristics and parameters of treatment response in predicting biochemical disease-free survival (BFS) for patients with intermediate or high risk prostate cancer treated by combined definitive external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Methods Between June 1995 and January 2015, 375 patients with localized prostate cancer and a National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) intermediate or high risk categories were treated by definitive EBRT and ADT. Median duration of androgen blockade was 10 months (range: 3–36 months); Median radiation dose was 72 Gy (Range: 70–78 Gy). Median follow-up time was 5.8 years (range: 0.8–16.39 years). The main study endpoint was biochemical disease free survival (BFS). Results Forty seven patients (12.5%) developed biochemical recurrence (BCR) during the observation period. Monovariate analysis identified baseline PSA (bPSA) (p = 0.024), T-stage (p = 0.001), Gleason’s score (GS) (p = 0.042), radiation dose (p = 0.045), PSA pre-radiation therapy (p = 0.048), and nadir PSA (nPSA), (p < 0.001) as significant variables affecting BCR. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve identified a nPSA of 0.06 ng/ml as optimal cut-off value significantly predicting the patients’ risk of BCR (p < 0.001). Multivariate cox regression analysis revealed T-stage, GS, and nPSA as independent variable affecting BFS, while bPSA, age, and radiation dose were not. Conclusion Nadir PSA at 0.06 is a strong independent predictor of BFS in patients with intermediate or high risk prostate cancer treated by definitive EBRT and ADT