His Royal Highness Prince Ra’ad Bin Zaid, Chief of Chamberlain, stressed that Jordan is fully committed to integrate those with special needs into the society, and enhance their vital contribution to the development process, based on the values of solidarity and national unity.
Prince Ra’ad, president of the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities in Jordan, speaking in the US-Arab Cities Forum which was held in Amman recently, and hosted by the Greater Amman Municipality, praised His Majesty King Abdullah II’s initiative to form a Royal committee responsible of the affairs of the persons with disabilities. In 2007, the committee succeeded in outlining a national strategy in Jordan, which was monitored later by the formation of the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, based on “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Law”, No. 31 of 2007.
Prince Ra’ad lectured the forum on the ways to integrate those with special needs in the community and preserve their rights of movement. He pointed out that Mayor of Amman, Eng. Omar Maani is working together with leaders of the local community to enhance the urban development in the Capital, employing the advanced technical means proved by the latest urban planning studies. Such development, the Prince said, will certainly preserve the City’s natural and historic heritage.
Prince Ra’ad indicated that the legally-recognized national building code regarding persons with disabilities is applied on all businesses, with reference to the public and private sectors. No building licenses will be issued unless contractors are fully complying with the code’s directives, he said.
The law also stipulated that all public transport operators, travel agencies and rental car companies shall provide convenient means of transportation for the handicapped, to facilitate their transfer, and afford them access to IT facilities.
On his part, Maani briefed the participants in the forum on the recent projects accomplished by GAM, including the modern road network in Amman. He said that the majority of the City’s inhabitants are youth, where 55% of the population is below the age of 45, while 25% of them use the public transport.
Maani emphasized that GAM’s new approach aims at controlling the negative impacts on environment, by increasing the number of public transport commuters to 50% in 2025. He said that the Municipality is developing the public transport in Amman by improving the current bus stations, and assigning an expert company to furnish the streets in the City with more bus stops, including the ones dedicated for the persons with disabilities.
The Mayor said that fast and frequent bus lines are the backbone of Amman Valley, and can take in up to 170 passengers. He noted that the first stage of the public transport development project will commence soon, serving the route from Sweileh to Al-Mahatta. A metro train is also under way, as Maani said GAM will award the pertinent tender to a specialized company at the beginning of 2010. The train is expected to start operation by 2014, covering the areas between Al-Mahatta and Queen Alia International Airport.
In the same context, Mayor of US City of Oklahoma, Mick Cornett, briefed the forum on the urban development plan, making the city a pedestrian friendly. The city is also known for its economic recovery, and the growing educational and healthcare services.
Cornett said that his joint healthcare initiative with the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority helped in reducing rates of obesity among civilians. A special website was established for this purpose, instructing people on the best ways to fight obesity and remain in good physical shape. Over 150,000 people have visited the site since its launch two years ago. Cornett said that the most part of the initiative relied on changing the public attitude towards obesity.
Mayor of Beirut, Abdel Mounim Al-Ariss, talked about the plans to create an entirely new city center in Beirut. These plans were outlined soon after the end of the 15-year Civil War in Lebanon in 1990. The 25-year Solidere project for downtown Beirut promises to be one of the greatest challenges of modern-day urban development, restoring the traditional buildings, preserving heritage and enhancing tourism and commerce.
Deputy Manager of the Center for the Study of the Built Environment, Eng. Hania Maraqa, presented a paper about the center, its objectives and mission. She said that the center aims at addressing the challenges that affect the built environment in Jordan, to help achieving a sustainable social development. She noted that such development can only be attained by applying the principles of good governance, based on honesty and excellence.
Maraqa said that “by institutionalizing a knowledge culture, Jordanians need to change their attitudes, stop introducing foreign theories, and try to create their own national ones.”
She pointed to the center’s recent initiative to enhance communication with the local community, by increasing transparency in urban governance. The center has recently issued an Arabic translation for the book, “Corrupt Cities”, and hosted its co-author, Ronald McLean Abaroa.
