by Rebecka Gordan
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJRuNT6VKfy8bD3ZSIZaHB1coX2ujPNiu9CdlwKqTrZczeKCBn9aHWlwqEuhFEpbFkZ4y3au4tBxV5vIET8Uc5VQBaKHXdVXggVT8zHX3kpwzy_5s6aIUb9R6IgF1jOFF3zrrdiWOd2M/s1600/_MG_7723.JPG)
To the newcomer, Amman seems like the tranquil eye of a cyclone. In this hilly city of 2.8 million people, the king and his family smile gently from portraits on the walls. Amman has a long history of immigration, including recent Iraqi and Syrian refugees and a large Palestinian community. Its population is expected to double in the next 10 years. How do city planners address the challenges of the city's rapid growth?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YflcKms8JTteE35NE79FEt6MMqHN3wpGDZriAj047s-CYITx9cQ1jPQIxCkpyGlwdV_v8GZjOJadEit4kvrHLzjGvoHCm9min5_2uVbcsf6VK2dsAgdwhIXKAA6w7gc8u00Ienfx8b0/s1600/_MG_7753.JPG)
In a presentation last Wednesday by Amman's planning department, I learned that one of the pillars of the new master plan involves fostering an inclusive multicultural city under the slogan, "A livable city is an organized city with a soul.” People I encountered in streets and markets also linked a certain harmonious diversity with the soul of their city. When I asked what they like most about Amman, "the friendly people" was the most common answer I received.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs__DMAhIY7V-6-Kv87ngka3QjYgEydPt3GwICv4E_BTMrkM8iAuenSLW3woaD8AADT2aJFo52n_TUd5oMbBia17TTEIlYXS_R_lQC32oQtcmnECw0d8snloVEZk8DgyJFHm1CZ1k_to/s1600/_MG_7378.JPG)
Friendly, but content? In comparison with recent visits to Egypt and Belarus – where frustration was a tangible presence – any unrest in Amman was hidden from my eyes and ears. If a movement for change emerges, one hopes that civility among Amman's diverse residents will remain an asset.
Credits: Photos by Rebecka Gordan.
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To the newcomer, Amman seems like the tranquil eye of a cyclone. In this hilly city of 2.8 million people, the king and his family smile gently from portraits on the walls. Amman has a long history of immigration, including recent Iraqi and Syrian refugees and a large Palestinian community. Its population is expected to double in the next 10 years. How do city planners address the challenges of the city's rapid growth?
In a presentation last Wednesday by Amman's planning department, I learned that one of the pillars of the new master plan involves fostering an inclusive multicultural city under the slogan, "A livable city is an organized city with a soul.” People I encountered in streets and markets also linked a certain harmonious diversity with the soul of their city. When I asked what they like most about Amman, "the friendly people" was the most common answer I received.
Friendly, but content? In comparison with recent visits to Egypt and Belarus – where frustration was a tangible presence – any unrest in Amman was hidden from my eyes and ears. If a movement for change emerges, one hopes that civility among Amman's diverse residents will remain an asset.
Credits: Photos by Rebecka Gordan.
+ share