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Macalester College

Publication Date

Fall 2017

Program Name

Jordan: Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East

Abstract

This research aims to explore the current public transportation status in the city of Amman, Jordan. Many Middle Eastern cities in the Levant are under critical urban transformations. This is due to both the increasing investment in infrastructure from countries located mostly in the Gulf States and through the mass destruction and neglect from internal conflicts. Amman is the only city in the Levant Region that is growing, and with a population of roughly 4 million, there is no adequate public transportation system in the city. This research includes a review of literature in urban studies and transportation, drawing on the theories of neoliberalism and public transportation. Cities such as Amman that undergo neoliberal transformations prioritize a lifestyle of excessive consumption for the elite, which ultimately relies on global capital and huge reserves of money from wealthier countries. As a result, the city is further formed for the needs of the elite.

The researcher hypothesizes that whether due to the prioritization of the middle and upper classes of Amman and their consumption of personal vehicles or the disorganized structure of public transportation ministries within Amman, public transportation will likely not improve in the near future. This study’s significance is related to Amman’s exponential and unprecedented population growth in large part to the Syrian crisis, and how redefining the city will affect its citizens socially and economically. This research aims to find a sustainable solution for the future. Data was collected through interviews with government officials and taxi owners, questionnaires distributed to a random sample, and GPS technology following the movement of taxis. This study contributes both qualitative and quantitative perspectives of the taxi system in Jordan to broaden the academic discussion of public transportation in the region.

Disciplines

Geography | Urban Studies and Planning

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