This paper reviews the development of Greater Amman, Jordan noting that the vast urban expansion
that has occurred over the last fifty years has led to the desertification of rare fertile lands, following
the fragmented and scattered territorial expansion of the city. The future scenario for planning in
Greater Amman is analyzed in respect of proposals outlined in the Metropolitan Growth Plan of 2008,
which assumes a rapid population growth from 2,200,000 persons in 2006, to approximately
6,500,000 by 2025. The concentration of more than 39 per cent of the national population of Jordan in
Greater Amman threatens the transformation of former distinct settlement pattern into a distinctive
continuous urban zone, aggravating problems of infrastructural provision, water needs, agricultural
lands, and leaving unresolved problems of land inflation, poor urban standards and housing
shortages. In conclusion, the environmental implications of the Amman Metropolitan Growth Plan are
analysed, and it is suggested that an alternative approach is needed, based on clear principles of
sustainable urban development
