Client

World Bank

Joint venture

Cotecno Gandalf (Italy), Keios (Italy), ABT (Italy), Alchemia, CDG

Location

Jerash, Karak, Madaba, Salt (Jordan)

Period

2004 – 2005

Project Description

The study concerned the preparation of a World Bank project for the urban revitalization of the cities of Jerash, Karak, Madaba and Salt in Jordan.

The project development objective was to improve local economies and social cohesion of the four cities by creating conditions for a process of sustainable revitalization of their historic cores and tourism development. The proposed project will be implemented through City Revitalization Programs, based on a number of actions that would comprehensively upgrade the historic cores and develop them into high quality open public multi-purpose space.

The program included three  components:

• regulatory actions, for the enforcement of city centre zoning and building regulations; and traffic and parking improvements for historic cores;
• physical actions, including the upgrading of and improvements of the street networks and the public spaces; protection and landscaping of green areas; conservation and adaptive re-use of monuments and historic buildings; rehabilitation of public transport facilities; support to cultural heritage and tourism related productive and commercial activities;
• capacity building, to strengthen the municipalities and ensure the successful implementation of the project.

The study originated the World Bank/Jordan/Cultural Heritage Tourism and Urban Development Project (P081823). As per the World Bank official project completion report (WB, 2015), the average length of stay of tourists in the target cities almost doubled, increasing from a baseline of 1.5 days to 2.8 days in 2014.

Scope of Services

• Analysis of the current situation.
• Local consultations and workshops.
• Feasibility study.