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Luna Khirfan
University of Waterloo, Planning, Faculty Member
- Architecture, Place promotion and marketing, Vernacular Typology Studies, Urban Planning, Urban Regeneration, Heritage Conservation, and 25 morePlace (Architecture), Conservation Led Urban Regeneration, Townscape, Place Identity, Urban Morphology, Planning, Urban Design, Spatial Analysis, Landscape Planning, Historic Preservation, Urban Design (Urban Studies), Heritage Management, World Cultural Heritage, Community Design, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Public Interest Architecture, Tourism in protected areas/World Heritage, Cultural World Heritage Sites, Historic Preservation Planning, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation Strategies, Climate Change, Adaptation to Climate Change, Climate Change in Developing Countries, and Climate Change and coastal zonesedit
In this era of climate change, novel nature-based solutions, like the daylighting (de-culverting) of streams, that enhance the socio-ecological resilience are gaining prominence. Yet, the growing body of literature on stream daylighting... more
In this era of climate change, novel nature-based solutions, like the daylighting (de-culverting) of streams, that enhance the socio-ecological resilience are gaining prominence. Yet, the growing body of literature on stream daylighting spreads over an array of seemingly disconnected disciplines and lacks consistency in the terminology and the definitions of the practice. Moreover, nearly all the literature review studies on stream daylighting (mostly produced since 2000) underscore, as their point of departure, the daylighting projects rather than a review of the literature's content per se. Therefore, this study reassesses the literature on stream daylighting with a particular focus on its role, as a nature-based solution, for climate change mitigation and adaptation and for socio-environmental justice. We combine the systematic literature review (an all-encompassing review of the available literature on stream daylighting) with the inductive content analysis (an in-depth analysis of this literature's nature). Accordingly, we investigate all the relevant English-language publications since the first peer reviewed article on stream daylighting was published in 1992 until the end of 2018 to analyze four themes: the disciplines and sub-disciplines of the literature; the terminologies and synonyms of stream daylighting; the definitions of stream daylighting; and the case studies tackled in the literature.
• We develop a method that combines a systematic review of the stream daylighting literature and inductive content analysis.
• The method provides insights on the stream daylighting’s literature’s disciplines, terminologies, synonyms and case studies.
• The method is adaptable particularly, to nascent areas of study where sources’ numbers range between 100-200.
• We develop a method that combines a systematic review of the stream daylighting literature and inductive content analysis.
• The method provides insights on the stream daylighting’s literature’s disciplines, terminologies, synonyms and case studies.
• The method is adaptable particularly, to nascent areas of study where sources’ numbers range between 100-200.
Research Interests:
In the wake of the “Arab Spring” and the plethora of reforms and institutional restructuring that followed, the discourse on governance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has taken a new turn. The credence of citizen action... more
In the wake of the “Arab Spring” and the plethora of reforms and institutional restructuring that followed, the discourse on governance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has taken a new turn. The credence of citizen action as a force for positive change and the potential for proposed administrative reform to achieve improved and equitable access to resources present broadening areas for further research and analysis. The consideration that “governance [is] a conceptual framework for political change and progress in the local arena” (McCarney 2003, 51) renders urban governance a fitting conceptual underpinning to ground the debate on future directions in MENA. This edited volume considers urban governance the nexus of the interactions among the state, the market, and civil society – the three constituents of social order (Figure 1.1). The complexity of these interactions generates an urban governance conundrum that ensues from three interrelated dynamics. The first occurs between the authoritarian state’s technologies of power and civil society’s technologies of citizenship; the second between the state and the market through neoliberalism’s concomitance with MENA’s economic push and pull factors; and the third as a concurrent tug between the market’s tendency to exclude civil society from the governance scheme and civil society’s inclination to actively engage in it. The following three sections, which also echo the three parts of the book, dissect this urban governance conundrum to elucidate the nuances of MENA’s governance gap and to set the stage for the case studies presented in this volume.
Research Interests:
Urban planners and conservationists in historic cities around the world grapple with the competing interests of conservation, urban design, and economic and social development. This book offers an interdisciplinary approach to the key... more
Urban planners and conservationists in historic cities around the world grapple with the competing interests of conservation, urban design, and economic and social development. This book offers an interdisciplinary approach to the key relationships between heritage conservation, city space design, and tourism development in historic cities, linking theory and practice in a unique way. The book offers an investigation of three Middle Eastern historic cities, Aleppo, Acre and Salt, all of which face significant challenges of heritage conservation, adaptation to contemporary needs, and tourism development. It presents practical scenarios for the conservation and design of historic urban spaces and the development of sustainable tourism, from the perspective of planners, local communities and international tourists.
The author offers a comparative approach which transcends political strife and provides valuable lessons for the other cities inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, especially those in developing countries.
Contents: Part I The Context: Historic urban landscapes: world heritage and the contradictions of tourism; Historic and morphological review. Part II Place-Making: Documentation and value assessments: the identification of local and global significance; Place-making strategies; Public participation in world heritage planning: from evolution to implementation. Part III Place Experience: Place experience; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.
Reviews: ‘In this book, Luna Khirfan does an admirable job of connecting three distinct fields which have often been studied separately; World Heritage Studies, Tourism Studies, and Urban Design Research. By focusing on a few, but sometimes less explored, Middle Eastern cities like Acre and al-Salt, in addition to the well-researched Aleppo, she interrogates the complexities and conflicts involved in the interweaving of tourist development policies with the rehabilitation of historic sites through contemporary urban design practices.’
Nezar AlSayyad, University of California, Berkeley, USA
The author offers a comparative approach which transcends political strife and provides valuable lessons for the other cities inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, especially those in developing countries.
Contents: Part I The Context: Historic urban landscapes: world heritage and the contradictions of tourism; Historic and morphological review. Part II Place-Making: Documentation and value assessments: the identification of local and global significance; Place-making strategies; Public participation in world heritage planning: from evolution to implementation. Part III Place Experience: Place experience; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.
Reviews: ‘In this book, Luna Khirfan does an admirable job of connecting three distinct fields which have often been studied separately; World Heritage Studies, Tourism Studies, and Urban Design Research. By focusing on a few, but sometimes less explored, Middle Eastern cities like Acre and al-Salt, in addition to the well-researched Aleppo, she interrogates the complexities and conflicts involved in the interweaving of tourist development policies with the rehabilitation of historic sites through contemporary urban design practices.’
Nezar AlSayyad, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Research Interests:
Contemporary water and sanitation infrastructure in the Jordan River Watershed is often massive in scale and its environmental impacts are visually and logistically detached from its context. This infrastructure limits water management to... more
Contemporary water and sanitation infrastructure in the Jordan River Watershed is often massive in scale and its environmental impacts are visually and logistically detached from its context. This infrastructure limits water management to the jurisdiction of centralized authorities and perpetuates inequitable water allocation, unsustainable land development and high rates of water consumption, all of which are compounded by an incomplete network of wastewater treatment and runoff catchment to supplement water sources. We propose an approach that integrates water management into the visual and
spatial experience of place. Water catchment and reuse then give form to architecture, topography, water conveyance, urban morphology and food production. The proposal consists of a four-part methodology that is multi-scalar and that: a) prioritizes transboundary watershed management, b) evaluates environmental suitability for development, c) brings water and sanitation infrastructure to the forefront, and d) defines the landscape identity according to the integration of landscape and infrastructure. This methodology ensures the ecological integrity of the heritage landscape, increases food production,
decreases energy-intensive water technologies and initiates a balanced allocation of water resources for agriculture, domestic use and ecological restoration.
Keywords: Jordan River Valley, transboundary watershed management, water integrated urban morphology, runoff catchment, landscape infrastructure.
spatial experience of place. Water catchment and reuse then give form to architecture, topography, water conveyance, urban morphology and food production. The proposal consists of a four-part methodology that is multi-scalar and that: a) prioritizes transboundary watershed management, b) evaluates environmental suitability for development, c) brings water and sanitation infrastructure to the forefront, and d) defines the landscape identity according to the integration of landscape and infrastructure. This methodology ensures the ecological integrity of the heritage landscape, increases food production,
decreases energy-intensive water technologies and initiates a balanced allocation of water resources for agriculture, domestic use and ecological restoration.
Keywords: Jordan River Valley, transboundary watershed management, water integrated urban morphology, runoff catchment, landscape infrastructure.
Research Interests:
This paper investigates the co-existence of two divergent discourses of the traditional in the contemporary urban landscape of Jordan: the mass mediation of “idealized traditional” urban landscapes, and the obscuration and suppression of... more
This paper investigates the co-existence of two divergent discourses of the traditional in the contemporary urban landscape of Jordan: the mass mediation of “idealized traditional” urban landscapes, and the obscuration and suppression of the truly traditional. It reveals how these dichotomous, yet concurrent discourses occur in three spheres of Jordan’s urban landscape namely, the physical, the functional, and the conceptual. The placement of the idealized traditional against the ‘suppressed traditional’ elucidates how mass mediation and cultural intimacy –the perception of embarrassment, interact in Jordan’s contemporary urban landscape.
Fluvial reclamation to facilitate urban development leads to culverting, hence, a loss of urban streams. Using the palimpsest analogy, we examine how the Amman Stream in Amman (Jordan) historically provided regulatory and socio-cultural... more
Fluvial reclamation to facilitate urban development leads to culverting, hence, a loss of urban streams. Using the palimpsest analogy, we examine how the Amman Stream in Amman (Jordan) historically provided regulatory and socio-cultural ecosystem services through its socio-spatial (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical) connections. We then explore the impact of the stream's culverting, partially in 1967 then completely in 1997, on these connections and, consequently, on ecosystem services. To overcome data paucity, our methodology relied on constructing spatial data by georeferencing and digitizing aerial photos and satellite images (from 1953, 1975, 1992, and 2000) using ArcGIS. We augmented our data with archival research (historic and contemporary documents and maps), an online survey among Amman's residents, and in situ observations and photography. The results reveal striking contrasts between the historic and contemporary configuration of urban form vis-à-vis the Amman Stream. Throughout its early urban history during the Classical and early Islamic periods, the urban form elements reflected reverence and prudence toward the Amman Stream as manifested in the investment in water infrastructure and the alignment of thoroughfares, civic monuments, and bridges that collectively capitalized on the land relief (the strath) and established strong connections with the Amman Stream, maximizing, in the process, its regulatory and socio-cultural services. In contrast, the contemporary urban form replaced the stream with car-oriented roads, hence, eradicated its regulatory services and replaced its socio-spatial connections with urban socioeconomic and cultural fissures. Accordingly, we propose to daylight (de-culvert) the Amman Stream to restore its regulatory and socio-cultural services and its socio-spatial connections. We substantiate the feasibility of daylighting through: (1) morphological analysis that reveals that roads cover most of the stream; (2) the survey's findings that indicate public support; and (3) the cascading benefits for the larger watershed in a water insecure region.
Research Interests:
Since the start of stream daylighting (deculverting streams buried to make way for urban development) in the 1970s, several case study/project-based reviews emerged. Yet, there is a need for literature-based reviews that identify the... more
Since the start of stream daylighting (deculverting streams buried to make way for urban development) in the 1970s, several case study/project-based reviews emerged. Yet, there is a need for literature-based reviews that identify the literature's themes, interconnections, pressing issues, and knowledge gaps. Therefore, we combine the systematic review and content analysis methods to investigate 115 peer-reviewed and grey literature publications on stream daylighting. Our findings reveal temporal shifts in the multi-/inter-disciplinary clustering patterns of the identified nine themes and 53 sub-themes. Furthermore, there is a dearth in this literature on 'built form and urban design', 'inclusive planning', and on case studies from the Global South. Last, the connections are absent between stream daylighting and nature-based solutions and climate change adaptation (e.g., vis-à-vis stormwater management, urban heat island, and rainwater harvesting) and climate mitigation (de-creasing greenhouse gas emissions, such as through enhancing the opportunities for walkability, cycling, and connections to transit).
Research Interests:
articles examining stream daylighting (de-culverting buried streams) are limited in scope, report on only a fraction of available publications, and focus on publications' explicit (manifest) content rather than their underlying constructs... more
articles examining stream daylighting (de-culverting buried streams) are limited in scope, report on only a fraction of available publications, and focus on publications' explicit (manifest) content rather than their underlying constructs (latent content). This review combines the methods of systematic literature reviews and inductive content analysis to better understand the scope and nature of the literature on stream daylighting. The study investigates four themes: the disciplines, terminologies, definitions, and case studies and their in-terconnections and covers all relevant English-language sources since 1992 through 2018. The results reveal three findings with implications for future research: 1) there is a dearth in studies that tackle crucial contemporary challenges like climate change and studies that delve into the complex connections among the socio-cultural, physical planning, environmental, and economic dimensions of stream daylighting, such as socio-environmental justice, architecture, and urban design; 2) the terminology is inconsistent and a clear definition is absent; 3) Some important stream daylighting cases are overlooked, such as Zürich's (Switzerland) city-wide initiative and Riyadh's (Saudi Arabia) first arid climate initiative. The inclusion of such case studies in the literature impacts the perception of stream daylighting and expands the scope and dimensions of this practice.
Research Interests:
Climate change impacts, especially on coastal cities, can no longer be ignored and in order to avoid significant losses in the built environment, the economy, and, by consequence, human health and life, it is imperative to address these... more
Climate change impacts, especially on coastal cities, can no longer be ignored and in order to avoid significant losses in the built environment, the economy, and, by consequence, human health and life, it is imperative to address these impacts. We extrapolate the three pathways to urban resilience (persistence, adaptation, and transformation), as a function of the interrelations among the design of built forms (urban and landscape design), blue and green infrastructure (ecosystems), and knowledge-to-action (inclusion of local people and their knowledge). Accordingly, four urban and landscape design theories that integrate urban ecosystems are identified and linked to urban resilience and to the local ecological knowledge (LEK) through an inclusive design process (the charrette). The model is then applied to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, a city that is increasingly subjected to intense storm surges and to sea level rise in Atlantic Canada, where a series of design charrettes integrated the LEK into urban climate resilience proposals that serve as policy recommendations for future action.
Research Interests:
articles examining stream daylighting (de-culverting buried streams) are limited in scope, report on only a fraction of available publications, and focus on publications' explicit (manifest) content rather than their underlying constructs... more
articles examining stream daylighting (de-culverting buried streams) are limited in scope, report on only a fraction of available publications, and focus on publications' explicit (manifest) content rather than their underlying constructs (latent content). This review combines the methods of systematic literature reviews and inductive content analysis to better understand the scope and nature of the literature on stream daylighting. The study investigates four themes: the disciplines, terminologies, definitions, and case studies and their in-terconnections and covers all relevant English-language sources since 1992 through 2018. The results reveal three findings with implications for future research: 1) there is a dearth in studies that tackle crucial contemporary challenges like climate change and studies that delve into the complex connections among the socio-cultural, physical planning, environmental, and economic dimensions of stream daylighting, such as socio-environmental justice, architecture, and urban design; 2) the terminology is inconsistent and a clear definition is absent; 3) Some important stream daylighting cases are overlooked, such as Zürich's (Switzerland) city-wide initiative and Riyadh's (Saudi Arabia) first arid climate initiative. The inclusion of such case studies in the literature impacts the perception of stream daylighting and expands the scope and dimensions of this practice.
Research Interests:
Highlights • A discussion of the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of resilience • Establishing the links among resilience, adaptation, and urban form • Transformability identified as the foremost urban form resilience-enhancing... more
Highlights
• A discussion of the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of resilience
• Establishing the links among resilience, adaptation, and urban form
• Transformability identified as the foremost urban form resilience-enhancing characteristic
• Identifying seven urban design concepts that enhance the resilience of urban form
Abstract
Currently, both the planning and climate change literature highlight the concept of resilience to facilitate long-term adaptation strategies. Yet, decades before the onset of climate change science, uncertainty was dealt with in the urban planning and design literature since the latter half of the 20th century through various notions analogous to resilience. Through a review of these notions that presently remain isolated from the contemporary mainstream resilience and climate change discourses, this paper proposes an urban morphological theoretical framework that establishes theoretical and empirical links between urban form on the one hand, and climate change adaptation and resilience on the other. With urban morphology as its underpinning, the proposed theoretical framework identifies a set of variables that could potentially influence the resilience of urban form, hence, are proposed to measure its resilience to climate change. These variables underscore urban form's physical, spatial, and functional characteristics and their changes over time.
• A discussion of the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of resilience
• Establishing the links among resilience, adaptation, and urban form
• Transformability identified as the foremost urban form resilience-enhancing characteristic
• Identifying seven urban design concepts that enhance the resilience of urban form
Abstract
Currently, both the planning and climate change literature highlight the concept of resilience to facilitate long-term adaptation strategies. Yet, decades before the onset of climate change science, uncertainty was dealt with in the urban planning and design literature since the latter half of the 20th century through various notions analogous to resilience. Through a review of these notions that presently remain isolated from the contemporary mainstream resilience and climate change discourses, this paper proposes an urban morphological theoretical framework that establishes theoretical and empirical links between urban form on the one hand, and climate change adaptation and resilience on the other. With urban morphology as its underpinning, the proposed theoretical framework identifies a set of variables that could potentially influence the resilience of urban form, hence, are proposed to measure its resilience to climate change. These variables underscore urban form's physical, spatial, and functional characteristics and their changes over time.
Research Interests: Climate Change Adaptation, Adaptation to Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation Strategies, Urban Design (Urban Studies), Urban Design, and 6 moreUrban form, Sustainable Urban Design, Urban Planning and Design, Climate change adaptation measures, Architecture and Urban Design, and Resilince
This paper investigates the extent and the nature of how the urban planning literature has addressed climate change adaptation. It presents a longitudinal study of 157 peer-reviewed articles published from 2000 to 2013 in the leading... more
This paper investigates the extent and the nature of how the urban planning literature has addressed climate change adaptation. It presents a longitudinal study of 157 peer-reviewed articles published from 2000 to 2013 in the leading urban planning and design journals whose selection considered earlier empirical studies that ranked them these journals. The findings reveal that the years 2006–07 represent a turning point, after which climate change studies appear more prominently and consistently in the urban planning and design literature; however, the majority of these studies address climate change mitigation rather than adaptation. Most adaptation studies deal with governance, social learning, and vulnerability assessments, while paying little attention to physical planning and urban design interventions. This paper identifies four gaps that pertain to the lack of interdisciplinary linkages, the absence of knowledge transfer, the presence of scale conflict, and the dearth of participatory research methods. It then advocates for the advancement of participatory and collaborative action research to meet the multifaceted challenges of climate change.
Research Interests: Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Adaptation to Climate Change, Bioclimatic Urban Design, Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation Strategies, and 6 moreUrban And Regional Planning, Physical Planning (Architecture), Urban Design, Sustainable Urban Design, Urban design and planning, and Urban Planning and Design
Community-Based Climate Change Adaptation in Tobago. Winners in the second category of the international design competition titled “Planetary Urbanism – Critique of the Present in the Medium of Information Design”, which was initiated by... more
Community-Based Climate Change Adaptation in Tobago. Winners in the second category of the international design competition titled “Planetary Urbanism – Critique of the Present in the Medium of Information Design”, which was initiated by the magazine ARCH+ with support by the Federal Foreign Office in Germany, and advised by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU). The design jury included, among others, academics like Professor Saskia Sassen (Columbia University) and practitioners like Eduardo López Moreno (UN-HABITAT). Available at: http://www.archplus.net/home/planetary-urbanism/results/288,0,1,0.html?PHPSESSID=0b9b1cf3717dd9148e5a269137807a98
Research Interests:
Abstract This paper identifies the conceptual similarities between ecological designs and ecosystem-based adaptations to climate change. The former includes approaches grounded in expert knowledge, such as landscape ecological urbanism,... more
Abstract This paper identifies the conceptual similarities between ecological designs and ecosystem-based adaptations to climate change. The former includes approaches grounded in expert knowledge, such as landscape ecological urbanism, while the latter is rooted in local experiential knowledge and relies on community-based adaptations. This paper bridges these expert and experiential knowledge forms through a transactive planning model by deploying design charrettes in the context of Negril, Jamaica. The findings reveal that local people are aware of ecosystems and prefer ecologically sensitive adaptation interventions. This study concludes with planning and design recommendations for climate change adaptation in Negril. Keywords: Ecosystem-based adaptation, community-based adaptation, ecological design, landscape urbanism, design charrette.
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This article investigates links between the documentation of historic cities and the development of heritage-management plans and policies. It asks: How can the documentation of heritage value help produce policies and plans that sustain... more
This article investigates links between the documentation of historic cities and the development of heritage-management plans and policies. It asks: How can the documentation of heritage value help produce policies and plans that sustain the historic fabric as a living place. It compares projects that have adopted different approaches to urban preservation in two World Heritage cities, Aleppo in Syria and Acre in Israel. By investigating the documentation methods used in these projects and their impact on later management plans, the article reveals how effective policies, plans, and intervention strategies emerge from approaches that balance concern for the physical, spatial and social components of historic cities.
Research Interests:
This paper compares four layers of the urban form of Athens in Greece and Alexandria in Egypt and uses the palimpsest analogy and a methodology that combines town plan analysis and GIS to investigate the interactions between the symbolic... more
This paper compares four layers of the urban form of Athens in Greece and Alexandria in Egypt and uses the palimpsest analogy and a methodology that combines town plan analysis and GIS to investigate the interactions between the symbolic significance of heritage, urban form, and the distinctive spirit of place. The analyses reveal that the spirit of place remains constant as the urban form is reshaped. They also reveal that reinterpretations of the symbolic significance of tangible and intangible heritage, combined with innovative designs and urban rituals, transform the emerging urban form into a contemporary cosmic one.
Research Interests: Spatial Analysis, Architecture, Urban Planning, Computer Aided Design, Intangible cultural heritage, and 11 moreHousing, Transportation, Intangible Cultural Heritage (Culture), Urban Design (Urban Studies), Planning, Community Design, Urban Design, Environmental Criminology, Landscape Planning, Public Interest Architecture, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
This comparative study of three historical layers of the urban form of Athens in Greece and Alexandria in Egypt focuses on the links between heritage and the design of the public realm (street networks, public open spaces, and civic... more
This comparative study of three historical layers of the urban form of Athens in Greece and Alexandria in Egypt focuses on the links between heritage and the design of the public realm (street networks, public open spaces, and civic structures). The approach combines Geographical Information Systems, elements of town-plan analysis, and historical archival research. The aim is to improve understanding of the impact of heritage on the design of the public realm and how this can inform future urban design. The analysis reveals that during major periods of their history, Athens and Alexandria shaped their public realms through combining elements of their urban heritage, street network design, and the innovative design of civic structures.
Research Interests:
Building on the notion that the relations among large-scale structures, institutions, and individuals influence the inter-national transfer of planning knowledge, this article investigates the micro-processes that impact the metamorphosis... more
Building on the notion that the relations among large-scale structures, institutions, and individuals influence the inter-national transfer of planning knowledge, this article investigates the micro-processes that impact the metamorphosis of the transferred knowledge as it undergoes synthesis and adaptation. It proposes a model that links the transactions among the individual transfer agents, whether personal (person-centered) or professional (subject-matterrelated), firstly, to the theoretical and practical levels of planning knowledge and secondly, to the structures and institutions. The model is then applied to the Master Plan of Amman, Jordan where planners from Toronto, Canada have been involved. The analysis reveals that the during their interpersonal transactions, the transfer agents are better able to synthesize and adapt the transferred theories and practices than when the transfer process progresses toward the institutional level. The findings also reveal the significance of a structure that is conducive to the transfer agents for the synthesis and adaptation of knowledge.
Research Interests:
""Working Title: Transferring Canadian Planning Knowledge to Middle Eastern Cities Abstract: Canadian urban planners from Toronto and Vancouver have lent their planning knowledge and professional expertise to cities in the Middle... more
""Working Title: Transferring Canadian Planning Knowledge to Middle Eastern Cities
Abstract:
Canadian urban planners from Toronto and Vancouver have lent their planning knowledge and professional expertise to cities in the Middle East like Amman in Jordan and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. By drawing on disciplines such as public policy, knowledge management and urban planning, this article places the Toronto-Amman and Vancouver-Abu Dhabi scenarios within the theoretical and empirical debates on the contemporary cross-national knowledge flows. It investigates the impacts of the structural conditions and the planning cultures on the transactions among individual transfer agents. The distinctions between the various types of interpersonal transactions among the transfer agents also facilitate an exploration of the different modes for the adoption and adaptation of the transferred planning knowledge.
Keywords: knowledge transfer; transfer agents; diffusion; Vancouverism
Le transfert des connaissances canadiennes en matière d’urbanisme vers les villes du Moyen-Orient
Des urbanistes canadiens provenant de Toronto et Vancouver ont fait valoir leurs connaissances et expertises professionnelles dans des villes du Moyen-Orient, telles Amman en Jordanie et Abu Dhabi dans les Émirats arabes unis. S’inspirant de divers champs de connaissances, tels l’étude des politiques publiques, l’administration du savoir et l’urbanisme, cet article interprète les échanges professionnels entre Toronto et Amman ainsi que Vancouver et Abu Dhabi à la lumière des débats sur les flots transnationaux de savoir. Il examine l’effet des conditions structurelles et des différentes cultures reliées à l’urbanisme sur les échanges de connaissances entre agents porteurs et receveurs de savoir. Les distinctions entre les différents types de transactions interpersonnelles entre ces agents vont permettre l’exploration des conditions favorisant l’adoption des connaissances faisant l’objet de transferts transnationaux.
Mots clés : transfert du savoir; diffusion du savoir; agents porteurs de savoir; « Vancouverism »
""
Abstract:
Canadian urban planners from Toronto and Vancouver have lent their planning knowledge and professional expertise to cities in the Middle East like Amman in Jordan and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. By drawing on disciplines such as public policy, knowledge management and urban planning, this article places the Toronto-Amman and Vancouver-Abu Dhabi scenarios within the theoretical and empirical debates on the contemporary cross-national knowledge flows. It investigates the impacts of the structural conditions and the planning cultures on the transactions among individual transfer agents. The distinctions between the various types of interpersonal transactions among the transfer agents also facilitate an exploration of the different modes for the adoption and adaptation of the transferred planning knowledge.
Keywords: knowledge transfer; transfer agents; diffusion; Vancouverism
Le transfert des connaissances canadiennes en matière d’urbanisme vers les villes du Moyen-Orient
Des urbanistes canadiens provenant de Toronto et Vancouver ont fait valoir leurs connaissances et expertises professionnelles dans des villes du Moyen-Orient, telles Amman en Jordanie et Abu Dhabi dans les Émirats arabes unis. S’inspirant de divers champs de connaissances, tels l’étude des politiques publiques, l’administration du savoir et l’urbanisme, cet article interprète les échanges professionnels entre Toronto et Amman ainsi que Vancouver et Abu Dhabi à la lumière des débats sur les flots transnationaux de savoir. Il examine l’effet des conditions structurelles et des différentes cultures reliées à l’urbanisme sur les échanges de connaissances entre agents porteurs et receveurs de savoir. Les distinctions entre les différents types de transactions interpersonnelles entre ces agents vont permettre l’exploration des conditions favorisant l’adoption des connaissances faisant l’objet de transferts transnationaux.
Mots clés : transfert du savoir; diffusion du savoir; agents porteurs de savoir; « Vancouverism »
""
Notwithstanding the role of cross-national transfer of planning knowledge globally, there is a dearth of in-depth research that examines the transfer process. In recent years, Vancouver has garnered international acclaim as one of the... more
Notwithstanding the role of cross-national transfer of planning knowledge globally, there is a dearth of in-depth research that examines the transfer process. In recent years, Vancouver has garnered international acclaim as one of the world’s emerging ‘eco-cities’, and the planning model applied there has begun to be emulated in numerous foreign contexts. As the capital of the United Arab Emirates and an emerging global business center, Abu Dhabi has sought the expertise of leading Vancouverite planners to develop a design and regulatory framework that is culturally distinctive. This paper examines the knowledge transfer process with particular emphasis on the authority hierarchies formed and their impact on the adaptation of transferred knowledge. Using in-depth interviews and an analysis of the planning documents, this paper provides a micro-level investigation of the interpersonal and institutional relationships. Such relationships explicate the tools utilized by the transfer agents in their attempts to contextualize, adapt, and operationalize imported knowledge. We propose a model that maps the various levels of authority and links them to the knowledge flow between local acquiring agents and foreign transferring agents. The application of this model to the Abu Dhabi scenario reveals a complex web of interactions between the local and foreign planners involved, across multiple institutional levels.
By addressing two separate branding exercises for Amman, Jordan, we investigate the links between the city’s image and the visual image of its brand. We build on previous research by proposing a theoretical framework that combines city... more
By addressing two separate branding exercises for Amman, Jordan, we investigate the links between the city’s image and the visual image of its brand. We build on previous research by proposing a theoretical framework that combines city branding, Canter’s theory of place, and Kevin Lynch’s Image of the City. We test this theoretical framework by contrasting the development of Amman’s city brand in 2002 and its rebranding exercise in 2009. We address, firstly, how Amman’s brand(s) and image(s) are linked, and secondly, how the city brand and its image influence and are influenced by the values Ammanis ascribe to their city. We find that while it incorporated intensive promotional campaigns and place-making interventions, the 2002 branding exercise excluded the residents of Amman; the ensuing brand image therefore failed to correspond to the residents’ perceived values of Amman. Conversely, Amman’s 2009 branding exercise aspired for an inclusive process (“inward branding”), which allowed the new brand and its ensuing image to be ‘lived’ by and to ‘enliven’ Ammanis. We thus trace how Amman’s 2009 branding effort achieved more success among residents than the multidimensional branding exercise of 2002 simply by capturing the intricacies between residents’ affective perceptions and the new brand image.
In Amman’s fluxional state since the 1920s its East–West divide has remained constant. This chapter analyzes the socio-economic and demographic origins and current status of this divide and reveals that twentieth-century planning has... more
In Amman’s fluxional state since the 1920s its East–West divide has remained constant. This chapter analyzes the socio-economic and demographic origins and current status of this divide and reveals that twentieth-century planning has effectively bridged its disparities. In contrast, a favouring of the market in recent initiatives has instigated a regression in formal planning, leading to an unplanned Amman. The chapter delineates civil society’s informal yet influential rise in Amman’s urban governance networks which, especially after the Arab Spring uprisings, have transformed a coerced apathy into forms of non-traditional agency, including: revolt, subversion, and innovative negotiation.
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While dramatic changes are not foreign to Amman’s urban landscape, the years 2006–07 marked a turning point when the Greater Amman Municipality was assailed by sixteen requisitions for highrise developments – an unprecedented, hence... more
While dramatic changes are not foreign to Amman’s urban landscape, the years 2006–07 marked a turning point when the Greater Amman Municipality was assailed by sixteen requisitions for highrise developments – an unprecedented, hence unregulated building typology in Amman’s landscape. Triggered by the influx of investments in real estate development from the Arab Gulf States, and perceived as a form of “modernization,” these development pressures prompted King Abdullah II to appoint Omar Maani as mayor in 2006. The king instructed the new mayor “to invite experts from all over the world,” perceiving that their “sharing of successes and failures that they have witnessed in other cities can be of tremendous value to us” (King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, 3 May 2006, documented in Greater Amman Municipality 2008, 10–11). Eventually, more than fifteen Canadian planning experts from Toronto became involved with Jordanian planners in developing the 2007 Amman Master Plan (Khirfan 2011), which was followed by a series of planning documents, including the 2008 Amman Plan: Metropolitan
Growth Report (Greater Amman Municipality 2007d, 2008). In
contrast with previous plans, and probably under the influence of
the Canadian planners, the Amman Master Plan specifically mentions
“governance,” maintains that it “be citizen centered,” and
claims it is adopting an “implementation framework that is participatory,
[and] inclusive”; it also mentions “a public review” for
all the proposed high-density mixed-use development projects
(Greater Amman Municipality 2007a, 7). Similarly, the subsequent
Metropolitan Growth Report claims in its Amman 2025: Visions
and Aspirations section that by 2025 Amman will be “a city with
a citizen-centered governance” that is “based on principles of
transparency,
accountability, inclusive citizen participation” (Greater
Amman Municipality 2008, 36). The Jordanian urban planners who
were at the helm of these new plans also reiterated this inclusive and
participatory rhetoric and made claims of engaging the public and
of fostering participatory planning processes. Apart from sporadic
criticism of these claims (Parker 2009; Beauregard and Marpillero-
Colomina 2011), there is a dearth of systematic studies to assess
these participatory claims and investigate how Amman’s citizens
perceive them and the new plans for their city. We are therefore combining political science and urban planning perspectives in an attempt to understand the extent and the nature of public engagement and participation in Amman’s urban development. We build on Cooke and Kothari’s notion of participation as tyranny, or “how participatory development facilitates […] the illegitimate and / or unjust exercise of power” (Cooke and Kothari 2001, 4). Accordingly, we reveal the tyrannies in the Greater Amman Municipality’s (GAM) approach to public participation and how, in a counter-reaction, some of those directly affected by GAM’s policies used tyranny to resist, and even reverse, these policies.
Growth Report (Greater Amman Municipality 2007d, 2008). In
contrast with previous plans, and probably under the influence of
the Canadian planners, the Amman Master Plan specifically mentions
“governance,” maintains that it “be citizen centered,” and
claims it is adopting an “implementation framework that is participatory,
[and] inclusive”; it also mentions “a public review” for
all the proposed high-density mixed-use development projects
(Greater Amman Municipality 2007a, 7). Similarly, the subsequent
Metropolitan Growth Report claims in its Amman 2025: Visions
and Aspirations section that by 2025 Amman will be “a city with
a citizen-centered governance” that is “based on principles of
transparency,
accountability, inclusive citizen participation” (Greater
Amman Municipality 2008, 36). The Jordanian urban planners who
were at the helm of these new plans also reiterated this inclusive and
participatory rhetoric and made claims of engaging the public and
of fostering participatory planning processes. Apart from sporadic
criticism of these claims (Parker 2009; Beauregard and Marpillero-
Colomina 2011), there is a dearth of systematic studies to assess
these participatory claims and investigate how Amman’s citizens
perceive them and the new plans for their city. We are therefore combining political science and urban planning perspectives in an attempt to understand the extent and the nature of public engagement and participation in Amman’s urban development. We build on Cooke and Kothari’s notion of participation as tyranny, or “how participatory development facilitates […] the illegitimate and / or unjust exercise of power” (Cooke and Kothari 2001, 4). Accordingly, we reveal the tyrannies in the Greater Amman Municipality’s (GAM) approach to public participation and how, in a counter-reaction, some of those directly affected by GAM’s policies used tyranny to resist, and even reverse, these policies.
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Linking the climate change, urban planning and design, and knowledge management literature, this chapter introduces a conceptual framework that deploys community design charrettes for public engagement in envisioning and assessing... more
Linking the climate change, urban planning and design, and knowledge management literature, this chapter introduces a conceptual framework that deploys community design charrettes for public engagement in envisioning and assessing adaptation strategies, for data collection, and for knowledge exchange (Sanoff 2000, Condon 2008, Walker and Seymour 2008). Design charrettes are a form of interactive-collaborative design-based problem solving exercises in which teams of 8-12 participants, working with design-versed facilitators, attempt to solve the problem at hand primarily through drawing (Sanoff 2000; Condon 2008). The conceptual framework is then applied in south-west Tobago as part of the Partnership for Canada-Caribbean Community Climate Change Adaptation (ParCA) research project where a series of four community design charrettes were held with various sub-communities in order to gauge how they have been intuitively adapting to climate change and how they perceive future adaptation. The discussion describes the methods for compiling the visual and qualitative data during the design charrettes, and then how these data were transcribed, categorized, and classified. Throughout, a combination of deductive and inductive thematic analyses guided a review of the relevant literature on climate change adaptation, the management and analysis of the collected data, and the proposals for integrated design interventions in the physical and built environment that cater primarily for climate change adaptation (Crabtree and Miller 1999). The proposed approach responds to the dearth of in-depth empirical research in two areas, namely: adaptation to climate change through urban planning and urban design (Pizarro et al. 2006) and the involvement of vulnerable local communities in the formulation of adaptation strategies (Sheppard et al. 2011).
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This chapter discusses an initiative that involved local and regional community organizations (the Community Garden Council of Waterloo and Opportunities Waterloo), a regional planning agency (the Region of Waterloo Public Health [RWPH]),... more
This chapter discusses an initiative that involved local and regional community organizations (the Community Garden Council of Waterloo and Opportunities Waterloo), a regional planning agency (the Region of Waterloo Public Health [RWPH]), and academic planners and students (the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo). The initiative included a day-long design charrette during which the local community gardeners shared their visions and aspirations for inclusive and accessible community gardens in the Region of Waterloo. The urban design students at the University of Waterloo articulated these visions and aspirations into design proposals for four different community gardens in the Region of Waterloo. For two weeks after the design charrette, the academic planner and the students conducted additional research into accessible and inclusive designs and accordingly further refined the gardeners’ visions into final design proposals. This chapter therefore addresses the links between accessibility and inclusiveness in the design of community gardens. It also offers an example of planning academics and students positively contributing their knowledge to a regional planning initiative through research and design of the four local community gardens. The emerging blueprints from these designs also have the potential to influence regional, and eventually provincial, policies on the accessibility and inclusiveness of community gardens through proposing new design guidelines and building codes.
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Petra’s archaeological ruins have been inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 1985. They have also been listed among the 2006 ‘New Seven Wonders of the... more
Petra’s archaeological ruins have been inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 1985. They have also been listed among the 2006 ‘New Seven Wonders of the World,’ and have been included among the Smithsonian Magazine’s 2008 list of 28 Places to See Before You Die. Nationally, Petra has earned the national epithet ‘the oil of Jordan’ due to its contributions to the country’s gross domestic income (GDP). According to the National Tourism Strategy 2011-2015: ‘Tourism expenditure reached more than JD 2.423 billion which contributed 12.4% to the national GDP’. Petra’s contribution is indeed significant considering that its entry fees stand at 50 Jordanian Dinars per tourist per day (approximately US $70), and considering that it has attracted over 629,000 visitors in 2011 of which more than 508,500 were foreign tourists . When one considers that the runner-up, which is the near-intact Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash in the north of Jordan, received less than half the arrivals at Petra for the same year (241,900 tourists, of which 179,700 were foreign tourists), then Petra’s role as the primary tourist attraction of Jordan is firmly confirmed. But how do these international recognitions and national contributions to Jordan’s GDP manifest at the local level? What planning measures are the Jordanian authorities adopting to ensure the sustainability of Petra as the country’s primary attraction? And, most importantly, what lessons may we extrapolate from planning Jordan's primary attraction for the benefit of developing other destinations around Petra, such as Shobak, and beyond?
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The introduction of mega-scale urban (re) development projects has become contentious in developing countries. In particular, such a project in the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq has raised issues pertaining to heritage designation,... more
The introduction of mega-scale urban (re) development projects has become contentious in developing countries. In particular, such a project in the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq has raised issues pertaining to heritage designation, displacement and the economic well being of the merchants of the Delal Khaneh Bazaar. In transforming Erbil City into a leader in attracting foreign businesses and tourists, the local government has become involved in the process of displacement. This research explores social and economic impacts on local merchants who have been relocated from their traditional habitat, Delal Khaneh Bazaar, due to a major urban renewal project. The qualitative analysis of the research leading to this paper depended primarily on in-depth interviews with relocated merchants, key informants and personal fieldwork observations. By closely examining the relocation process, this research sheds new light on the rarely acknowledged exclusion of the public from Kurdistan's urban planning framework and the need for more inclusive public participation measures. A lack of transparency and opportunities for direct participation of citizens or any other stakeholders in the decision-making processes are evident in the case of Erbil's Delal Khaneh Bazaar. This paper concludes with recommendations for establishment of an inclusive planning agenda to enable the general public to be involved in the planning process to support heritage designation of a landmark in that city's downtown core. Giving voice to local residents, it is argued, will improve the livability of the redevelopment site, making it accessible to residents as well as international visitors.
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Urban design is an essential component of planning for climate transformation. However, the concept of transformation in urban design is complicated by the problematic legacy of design-led mega-projects. Such projects, often called... more
Urban design is an essential component of planning for climate transformation. However, the concept of transformation in urban design is complicated by the problematic legacy of design-led mega-projects. Such projects, often called Haussmannization, are criticized as inattentive to existing landscape, built, and social environments. While corrective movements have partially addressed criticisms of Haussmannization, they can also hinder justice-centered climate transformation, by empowering already powerful interests to defend status quo conditions or justifying inequity-deepening interventions in the name of climate action, a phenomenon we label climate Haussmannization. We present a schema connecting transformative urban design with procedural, distributive, and recognitional justice.
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This research addresses a question of major significance for many, if not most countries around the world that seek to bolster their economies through heritage tourism: to what extent is it possible to sustain the congruity and integrity... more
This research addresses a question of major significance for many, if not most countries around the world that seek to bolster their economies through heritage tourism: to what extent is it possible to sustain the congruity and integrity of historic sites without degrading them in the process of development and promotion? Using three case study sites in the Middle East (Aleppo in Syria, al-Salt in Jordan, and Acre in Israel), the research investigates the impact of planning processes and stakeholder inclusion on the distinctiveness and long-term sustainability of these sites. It contributes to theory by establishing links between place-making and place experience. It also contributes to planning practice through standardizing measures of quality of place-making, place-experience, and sustainability that integrate the perspective of local residents in planning processes. This research argues that the urban form of historic cities is the physical representation of internal societal processes and external interactions with the environment. Accordingly, the distinctiveness of historic urban fabrics results from local cultural expressions that are reflected as self-representations in urban design and socio-cultural interactions. The ensuing urban form and life within the historic fabric constitute major tourist attractions. However current planning approaches overlook local residents and perceive destinations as tourism products, emphasize their physical attributes, and focus only on tourists' activities. By ignoring local residents' activities and needs such approaches jeopardize the cultural and physical sustainability of historic cities and lead to a loss of distinctiveness, the quality that initially attracts tourism. Hence, this research proposes a model that links local self-representation to current planning approaches and to desired outcomes (distinctiveness and sustainability). In the three case study sites, the model tests how these outcomes influence the destination's ability to meet residents' and tourists' needs and to compete in the global heritage tourism industry. Within the framework of case study analysis, the research methodology embraces a mixed strategy that consists of a secondary quantitative method embedded within the primary qualitative method. Data collection tactics combine interviews, observations, questionnaires, material culture analysis, cognitive mapping, and documents and archives.Ph.D.ArchitectureCommunication and the ArtsSocial SciencesUrban planningUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/126738/2/3276205.pd
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This comparative study of three historical layers of the urban form of Athens in Greece and Alexandria in Egypt focuses on the links between heritage and the design of the public realm (street networks, public open spaces, and civic... more
This comparative study of three historical layers of the urban form of Athens in Greece and Alexandria in Egypt focuses on the links between heritage and the design of the public realm (street networks, public open spaces, and civic structures). The approach combines Geographical Information Systems, elements of town-plan analysis, and historical archival research. The aim is to improve understanding of the impact of heritage on the design of the public realm and how this can inform future urban design. The analysis reveals that during major periods of their history, Athens and Alexandria shaped their public realms through combining elements of their urban heritage, street network design, and the innovative design of civic structures.
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Empirical evidence points out that urban form adaptation to climate-induced flooding events—through interventions in land uses and town plans (i. e., street networks, building footprints, and urban blocks)—might exacerbate vulnerabilities... more
Empirical evidence points out that urban form adaptation to climate-induced flooding events—through interventions in land uses and town plans (i. e., street networks, building footprints, and urban blocks)—might exacerbate vulnerabilities and exposures, engendering risk inequalities and climate injustice. We develop a multicriteria model that draws on distributive justice's interconnections with the risk drivers of social vulnerabilities, flood hazard exposures, and the adaptive capacity of urban form (through land uses and town plans). The model assesses “who” is unequally at-risk to flooding events, hence, should be prioritized in adaptation responses; “where” are the high-risk priority areas located; and “how” can urban form adaptive interventions advance climate justice in the priority areas. We test the model in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where there are indications of increased rainfall events and disparities in social vulnerabilities. Our methodology started with surveying...
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In Amman’s fluxional state since the 1920s its East–West divide has remained constant. This chapter analyzes the socio-economic and demographic origins and current status of this divide and reveals that twentieth-century planning has... more
In Amman’s fluxional state since the 1920s its East–West divide has remained constant. This chapter analyzes the socio-economic and demographic origins and current status of this divide and reveals that twentieth-century planning has effectively bridged its disparities. In contrast, a favouring of the market in recent initiatives has instigated a regression in formal planning, leading to an unplanned Amman. The chapter delineates civil society’s informal yet influential rise in Amman’s urban governance networks which, especially after the Arab Spring uprisings, have transformed a coerced apathy into forms of non-traditional agency, including: revolt, subversion, and innovative negotiation.
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Abstract Since the start of stream daylighting (deculverting streams buried to make way for urban development) in the 1970s, several case study/project-based reviews emerged. Yet, there is a need for literature-based reviews that identify... more
Abstract Since the start of stream daylighting (deculverting streams buried to make way for urban development) in the 1970s, several case study/project-based reviews emerged. Yet, there is a need for literature-based reviews that identify the literature’s themes, interconnections, pressing issues, and knowledge gaps. Therefore, we combine the systematic review and content analysis methods to investigate 115 peer-reviewed and grey literature publications on stream daylighting. Our findings reveal temporal shifts in the multi-/inter-disciplinary clustering patterns of the identified nine themes and 53 sub-themes. Furthermore, there is a dearth in this literature on ‘built form and urban design’, ‘inclusive planning’, and on case studies from the Global South. Last, the connections are absent between stream daylighting and nature-based solutions and climate change adaptation (e.g., vis-a-vis stormwater management, urban heat island, and rainwater harvesting) and climate mitigation (decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, such as through enhancing the opportunities for walkability, cycling, and connections to transit).
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Abstract This paper identifies the conceptual similarities between ecological designs and ecosystem-based adaptations to climate change. The former includes approaches grounded in expert knowledge, such as landscape ecological urbanism,... more
Abstract This paper identifies the conceptual similarities between ecological designs and ecosystem-based adaptations to climate change. The former includes approaches grounded in expert knowledge, such as landscape ecological urbanism, while the latter is rooted in local experiential knowledge and relies on community-based adaptations. This paper bridges these expert and experiential knowledge forms through a transactive planning model by deploying design charrettes in the context of Negril, Jamaica. The findings reveal that local people are aware of ecosystems and prefer ecologically sensitive adaptation interventions. This study concludes with planning and design recommendations for climate change adaptation in Negril.
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This paper investigates the co-existence of two divergent discourses of the traditional in the contemporary urban landscape of Jordan: the mass mediation of “idealized traditional” urban landscapes, and the obscuration and suppression of... more
This paper investigates the co-existence of two divergent discourses of the traditional in the contemporary urban landscape of Jordan: the mass mediation of “idealized traditional” urban landscapes, and the obscuration and suppression of the truly traditional. It reveals how these dichotomous, yet concurrent discourses occur in three spheres of Jordan’s urban landscape namely, the physical, the functional, and the conceptual. The placement of the idealized traditional against the ‘suppressed traditional’ elucidates how mass mediation and cultural intimacy –the perception of embarrassment, interact in Jordan’s contemporary urban landscape.
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Contemporary water and sanitation infrastructure in the Jordan River Watershed is often massive in scale and its environmental impacts are visually and logistically detached from its context. This infrastructure limits water management to... more
Contemporary water and sanitation infrastructure in the Jordan River Watershed is often massive in scale and its environmental impacts are visually and logistically detached from its context. This infrastructure limits water management to the jurisdiction of ...
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This paper compares four layers of the urban form of Athens in Greece and Alexandria in Egypt and uses the palimpsest analogy and a methodology that combines town plan analysis and GIS to investigate the interactions between the symbolic... more
This paper compares four layers of the urban form of Athens in Greece and Alexandria in Egypt and uses the palimpsest analogy and a methodology that combines town plan analysis and GIS to investigate the interactions between the symbolic significance of heritage, urban form, ...
Research Interests: History, Human Geography, Spatial Analysis, Architecture, Urban Planning, and 15 moreComputer Aided Design, Intangible cultural heritage, Housing, Transportation, Intangible Cultural Heritage (Culture), Urban And Regional Planning, Urban Design (Urban Studies), Planning, Community Design, Cities, Urban Design, Urban form, Environmental Criminology, Landscape Planning, and Public Interest Architecture
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ABSTRACT This article investigates links between the documentation of historic cities and the development of heritage-management plans and policies. It asks: How can the documentation of heritage value help produce policies and plans that... more
ABSTRACT This article investigates links between the documentation of historic cities and the development of heritage-management plans and policies. It asks: How can the documentation of heritage value help produce policies and plans that sustain the historic fabric as a living place? It compares projects that have adopted different approaches to urban preservation in two World Heritage cities, Aleppo in Syria and Acre in Israel. By investigating the documentation methods used in these projects and their impact on later management plans, the article reveals how effective policies, plans, and intervention strategies emerge from approaches that balance concern for the physical, spatial and social components of historic cities.
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Research Interests: Landscape Ecology, Geography, Ecosystem Services, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, and 12 moreContent Analysis (Research Methodology), Ecological restoration, Urban Design, Urban Water Management, Water sensitive urban design, Management of Urban Water Supply, Ecologically Sustainable Design, Landscape Ecological Planning, Meta Analysis and Systematic Review, Nature-based solutions, Stream daylighting, and Deculverting
a b s t r a c t This article incorporates a diverse set of approaches that draw upon mobility and diffusion in geography and urban planning, constructivism in international relations theory, and transfer in knowledge management studies in... more
a b s t r a c t This article incorporates a diverse set of approaches that draw upon mobility and diffusion in geography and urban planning, constructivism in international relations theory, and transfer in knowledge management studies in order to investigate: How do international planning consultants who hail from the developed world interact with their indigenous counterparts in developing countries? How do these international consultants navigate the local planning cultures? And how do the interactions between these international urban planning consultants and local planners impact the process of knowledge transfer-acquisition? A global ethnography approach facilitates a micro-level of analysis that elucidates the interactions between the transferring and the acquiring agents; explains the methods by which the transferring agents navigate the planning culture of the acquiring context; and also, explicates the outcomes of the knowledge transfer-acquisition process -i.e. the adapta...
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Fluvial reclamation to facilitate urban development leads to culverting, hence, a loss of urban streams. Using the palimpsest analogy, we examine how the Amman Stream in Amman (Jordan) historically provided regulatory and socio-cultural... more
Fluvial reclamation to facilitate urban development leads to culverting, hence, a loss of urban streams. Using the palimpsest analogy, we examine how the Amman Stream in Amman (Jordan) historically provided regulatory and socio-cultural ecosystem services through its socio-spatial (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical) connections. We then explore the impact of the stream's culverting, partially in 1967 then completely in 1997, on these connections and, consequently, on ecosystem services. To overcome data paucity, our methodology relied on constructing spatial data by georeferencing and digitizing aerial photos and satellite images (from 1953, 1975, 1992, and 2000) using ArcGIS. We augmented our data with archival research (historic and contemporary documents and maps), an online survey among Amman's residents, and in situ observations and photography. The results reveal striking contrasts between the historic and contemporary configuration of urban form vis-à-vis the Amman ...
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Highlights • A discussion of the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of resilience • Establishing the links among resilience, adaptation, and urban form • Transformability identified as the foremost urban form resilience-enhancing... more
Highlights • A discussion of the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of resilience • Establishing the links among resilience, adaptation, and urban form • Transformability identified as the foremost urban form resilience-enhancing characteristic • Identifying seven urban design concepts that enhance the resilience of urban form Abstract Currently, both the planning and climate change literature highlight the concept of resilience to facilitate long-term adaptation strategies. Yet, decades before the onset of climate change science, uncertainty was dealt with in the urban planning and design literature since the latter half of the 20th century through various notions analogous to resilience. Through a review of these notions that presently remain isolated from the contemporary mainstream resilience and climate change discourses, this paper proposes an urban morphological theoretical framework that establishes theoretical and empirical links between urban form on the one hand, and climate change adaptation and resilience on the other. With urban morphology as its underpinning, the proposed theoretical framework identifies a set of variables that could potentially influence the resilience of urban form, hence, are proposed to measure its resilience to climate change. These variables underscore urban form's physical, spatial, and functional characteristics and their changes over time.
Research Interests: Climate Change Adaptation, Adaptation to Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation Strategies, Urban Design (Urban Studies), Urban Design, and 7 moreUrban form, Sustainable Urban Design, Urban Climate, Urban Planning and Design, Climate change adaptation measures, Architecture and Urban Design, and Resilince
This paper investigates the extent and the nature of how the urban planning literature has addressed climate change adaptation. It presents a longitudinal study of 157 peer-reviewed articles published from 2000 to 2013 in the leading... more
This paper investigates the extent and the nature of how the urban planning literature has addressed climate change adaptation. It presents a longitudinal study of 157 peer-reviewed articles published from 2000 to 2013 in the leading urban planning and design journals whose selection considered earlier empirical studies that ranked them these journals. The findings reveal that the years 2006–07 represent a turning point, after which climate change studies appear more prominently and consistently in the urban planning and design literature; however, the majority of these studies address climate change mitigation rather than adaptation. Most adaptation studies deal with governance, social learning, and vulnerability assessments, while paying little attention to physical planning and urban design interventions. This paper identifies four gaps that pertain to the lack of interdisciplinary linkages, the absence of knowledge transfer, the presence of scale conflict, and the dearth of participatory research methods. It then advocates for the advancement of participatory and collaborative action research to meet the multifaceted challenges of climate change.
Research Interests: Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Adaptation to Climate Change, Bioclimatic Urban Design, Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation Strategies, and 7 moreUrban And Regional Planning, Physical Planning (Architecture), Multidisciplinary, Urban Design, Sustainable Urban Design, Urban design and planning, and Urban Planning and Design
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ABSTRACT Building on the notion that the relations among large-scale structures, institutions, and individuals influence the inter-national transfer of planning knowledge, this article investigates the micro-processes that impact the... more
ABSTRACT Building on the notion that the relations among large-scale structures, institutions, and individuals influence the inter-national transfer of planning knowledge, this article investigates the micro-processes that impact the metamorphosis of the transferred knowledge as it undergoes synthesis and adaptation. It proposes a model that links the transactions among the individual transfer agents, whether personal (person-centered) or professional (subject-matter-related), firstly, to the theoretical and practical levels of planning knowledge and secondly, to the structures and institutions. The model is then applied to the Master Plan of Amman, Jordan where planners from Toronto, Canada have been involved. The analysis reveals that during their interpersonal transactions, the transfer agents are better able to synthesize and adapt the transferred theories and practices than when the transfer process progresses toward the institutional level. The findings also reveal the significance of a structure that is conducive to the transfer agents for the synthesis and adaptation of knowledge.
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ABSTRACT Petra’s archaeological ruins have been inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 1985. They have also been listed among the 2006 ‘New Seven... more
ABSTRACT Petra’s archaeological ruins have been inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 1985. They have also been listed among the 2006 ‘New Seven Wonders of the World,’ and have been included among the Smithsonian Magazine’s 2008 list of 28 Places to See Before You Die. Nationally, Petra has earned the national epithet ‘the oil of Jordan’ due to its contributions to the country’s gross domestic income (GDP). According to the National Tourism Strategy 2011-2015: ‘Tourism expenditure reached more than JD 2.423 billion which contributed 12.4% to the national GDP’. Petra’s contribution is indeed significant considering that its entry fees stand at 50 Jordanian Dinars per tourist per day (approximately US $70), and considering that it has attracted over 629,000 visitors in 2011 of which more than 508,500 were foreign tourists . When one considers that the runner-up, which is the near-intact Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash in the north of Jordan, received less than half the arrivals at Petra for the same year (241,900 tourists, of which 179,700 were foreign tourists), then Petra’s role as the primary tourist attraction of Jordan is firmly confirmed. But how do these international recognitions and national contributions to Jordan’s GDP manifest at the local level? What planning measures are the Jordanian authorities adopting to ensure the sustainability of Petra as the country’s primary attraction? And, most importantly, what lessons may we extrapolate from planning Jordan's primary attraction for the benefit of developing other destinations around Petra, such as Shobak, and beyond?