I read it to compare.  Has Amman improved after all these great initiatives?… even though yes, I think it is getting better slowly  in some areas… for me as a citizen, walking in my residential area in Amman is still is as unpleasant as 3 years ago!

And by the way, I happen to be living in what is considered one of the best areas in West Amman….which makes me wonder about the experience of a citizen who lives in East Amman for example? Or in other areas in west Amman? 

I wonder, when will the project of fixing the streets in Amman finish?

Stroll with my nephew in 2006

One of the highlights of my daily routine is to take my nephew for a stroll around the house. He is very fascinated by the simple things, such as flying birds, hungry cats -usually around garbage bins- and the difference between small bushes and big trees. However, what fascinates me alongside his intelligence and surprised reactions to the things he sees, is the extent of his consciousness about walking on pavements.  Between his parents, his two sets of grand parents and the clan of aunts and uncles, we have managed to create an obsession about the importance of walking on the pavement and staying away from streets.  

That day, we chose a quiet residential area, to avoid the unpleasant experience of speeding cars and annoying traffic jams. After all, the whole point was to do a fun exercise together and try to get some fresh air, which is becoming questionable these days.  I was trying to get him to engage in a conversation with me, but he was too petulant to respond. I soon realized that we were walking on the street and he was concentrating on leading me away from the cars! Nizar who subconsciously gravitates towards the pavement, did not know how to deal with obeying his strict instructions to walk only on pavements and this frank non-compliance –ironically by one of the people who imposed this rule. My behaviour was obviously confusing him, and since he is still too young to express his confusion, he decided to do what he knows best, and that is to nag his way towards the side of the road.  Thinking about it now, I unintentionally managed to make this Three year old child feel that he is responsible for our safety! Which is frustrating considering that we are talking about a person who is barely out of nappies!  

Like Nizar I was following my subconscious commands which decree getting from point A to point B safely. These commands dictated walking on the road since that is as a matter of fact safer than walking on the scruffy sidewalks.  

For some odd reason we got the concept of pavements and walking all wrong.

Pavements in modern Amman are not designed for people to walk on; they are designed for trees to sit in! which reminds me of a comment made by another 7 year old friend, who was visiting from Canada, and said a very perceptive yet sarcastic comment “people here think that sidewalks are for decoration!” the truth is that she is right, people do think of pavements are decorative, mainly because we don’t have much choice about it!

Amman as modern is it is becoming, still did not manage to improve one of its most important features: the pedestrian culture. No pedestrian lines, in some areas we can’t even cross the road except from the bridges that are so far apart, such as the university area, the Gardens area, Al Madina al Munawara street to name a few. The narrow space on the pavement, the big trees with short trunks and low branches in the centre, the varied heights from the street level and the ragged state of the pavement make walking in Amman a hideous experience that very few people look forward to.

You could get a branch in your eye, or get a bruise on your legs or arms, you could fall in the holes that never get repaired, or were never finished to start with by the contractors who were responsible for that building. The possibilities of getting hurt are really endless!

Walking in Amman in 2009

Last few years, a few revolutionary initiatives were implemented to get people to walk and to enjoy our beloved Amman. Jara market, Wakalat Street, Rainbow street Jabal Amman, a few parks here and there.  We welcomed these initiatives with so much enthusiasm and gusto! Amman is finally becoming the friendly city that it really is.

But wait a minute… Is it really?

These projects are applied in a few selected areas that are used by people in west Amman.  The residential areas all around Amman are still suffering from the same neglect. ohhh, except for Abdoun of course, and maybe a few others…. because in my street in swefieh, I still get a branch in my eye, or get a bruise on my legs or arms, I still could fall in the holes that never get repaired, or that were never finished to start with by the contractors who were responsible for that building. The possibilities of getting hurt while walking are really still endless!