Developing tourist-oriented pedestrian connectivity that contributes to the wellbeing
of the local community within the heritage district of Irbid City Centre in Jordan.
Name: Fahed Abujaber
Approaches and Principles Instructor: Dr. Jill Grant Framing approaches help define a set of Advisor: Ramzi Kawar principles to establish a good tourism pedes- trian system in a heritage area. The following Introduction lists the explored topics: The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of - Urban heritage tourism Jordan proposes regenerating Irbid City Center - Pedestrian Tourism Issues and revitalizing selected heritage buildings - Heritage Tourism and Socio-Economic within the urban core of the city. The study Development aims to produce a portion of the larger - The ‘Urban Heritage Management’ Approach proposed project by incorporating a tourist- oriented pedestrian network in Irbid City Identifying the Principles Centre. A set of principles are developed to direct the outcomes of the development plan. The Heritage Tourism Potentials in Irbid principles require allocating routes and Irbid City Centre is a heritage rich site. Heritage pathways for tourist-oriented pedestrian use components include physical and cultural that satisfy a set of criteria, including access to assets. Tal Irbid (the Hill of Irbid) is the destinations, significant sites, and pleasant dominant land feature. It is the town’s historic sights, satisfy safety and security measures, core that transformed to house institutional connect to sites of respite, and address some uses and vacant open spaces. The southern part cultural concerns. The principles also require of the site is a heavily urbanized mix of providing proper way-finding and orientation residential and commercial uses. Reviving the tools, introducing public open spaces, fragmented heritage spirit within the site is conserving heritage features through rehabili- necessary for successful outcomes. tating and reusing heritage properties, and The client requires considering three heritage recommending conservation policies and building and two public spaces for rehabilitation regulations. Principles of community devel- and reuse to contribute to the tourists’ opment require reinforcing the cultural heritage experience and demonstrate pilot projects for of Irbid’s society, providing job opportunities, heritage conservation and community and avoiding gentrification or displacement of development. residents and local businesses. Project Objectives Understanding Irbid Three objectives to successfully transform Irbid Site analysis of the natural and build envi- City Centre into a touristic heritage landscape ronments identify the site’s physical assets. The are suggested: Tal is determined suitable for landscaping. - Introducing a tourist-oriented pedestrian Components of the heritage landscape are network within the site. identified, including heritage buildings and - Conserving heritage assets and reusing selected spaces, and traditional commercial activities. heritage buildings as tourist attractions and Functional and infrastructural challenges are community development venues. identified. The socio-economic analysis - Initiating community development and avoiding contributes to understanding local economic, gentrification. social, and cultural concerns. Analysis community’s socio-economic development. The The analysis connects the study of plan proposes introducing pedestrian routes approaches to the site analysis and case and upgrading pedestrian infrastructure. It studies to frame specific solutions within the suggests a tourist trail that elevates the tourists’ site. Some of the key findings of the analysis experience. The plan introduces green are: landscapes and public open spaces to serve the - Identifying three districts: cultural, residential, local community and enhance tourism and commercial. pedestrian connectivity. - Locating places of interest including heritage The development plan also proposes renova- clusters, buildings, views, and activities. tions and new uses for selected heritage - Exploring possible uses of renovated heritage buildings in the site to serve tourism and initiate buildings. community development. Suggested policies - Resolving cultural limitation issues. and regulations address a variety of issues, such - Identifying potential pedestrian routes and as conserving the heritage assets and character open spaces. of the site, and facilitating accessibility and connectivity to support economic prosperity The Development Proposal and avoid commercial and residential The development proposal presents a plan that gentrification. satisfies the project objectives. Proposed A set of recommendations addresses policy solutions address the set of principles to estab- reviews, community development initiatives, lish a tourism pedestrian system within a and topics that require further research. conserved heritage site, and facilitate the local