Mazen Alazazmeh

Vita

Mazen Alazazmeh is an architect and PhD candidate at the Bauhaus University Weimar. Experiences in urban planning and architecture in Belgium and Germany allowed him to develop a wider perspective on his home-city Amman. His research interests include gentrification, suburbanization, and social inclusion.

Abstract

While there are endless studies and dissertations which concern the city center and its structures, less attention has been given to its marginal counterpart. This ‘In-Between-City’ may not be every planner's dream, but its existence and significance are unquestionable. Moreover, contemporary urbanization largely takes place in the periphery; this is especially true for cities of the global south. Suburbanism and suburbanization have gained consciousness in global urban studies recently, however, little is yet to be found on Middle Eastern cities. Amman, the capital of Jordan, has been experiencing some major structural transformations over the last two decades. The recent crises in some surrounding countries alongside a bold neoliberal reformation has contributed to a rapid urbanization which prevailed in more peripheral spaces. This thesis aims to understand suburbanization and suburbanism in Jordan through its capital Amman, highlighting the significance of sub/urban studies and its role in future urban planning.

Keywords

Suburbia

Suburbanism

Suburbanization

Urban Sprawl

Urban Expansion

Middle East

Jordan

Amman