Landscape Democracy 2015 Working Group B - Case Study 3

---> back to group page working group B

University of Jordan Campus University of Jordan in the oldest and largest universities in Jordan in student capacity, hosting more than 31,000 students, and sitting in the heart of Amman the capital, on a spacious area of 1,200 thousand square meters. The land is changing between flat and mildly sloped, giving unique spatial experiences and theatrical changes of scenery between different spaces. The landscape is abundantly composed of pine and elm trees, as well as olive and other kinds of trees in some areas. The campus is semi-rectangular in shape and at its center students can find most of the facilities and services.The northern part of the campus is occupied by the dormitories for female students and faculty members housing units in the east and in the west the land is occupied by Humanities buildings. The southern part of the campus is occupied by the engineering, science and medical faculty buildings as well as the university hospital.

Place name	University of Jordan Campus
Location	Amman
Country	Jordan
Author	Eliza Salman

Rationale: Why have you chosen this case for the landscape and democracy seminar?

Landscape on the campus site of the University of Jordan, is rich and abundant in spaces where students can sit, walk, communicate as well as express themselves in many ways. Walkways and open spaces are sometimes used to exhibit artwork, certain points are gathering areas for poetry afternoons, and groups of friends enjoy playing the guitar in some corners of the landscape, or sunbathe under the warm spring sun in grassy areas. Some spaces are even used as starting points to running or cycling races. But it seems that all of that is not enough to provide a safe and hospitable environment, and a campus free of violence and harassment.

• Site Observations
• 

  Temporary Exhibition

• 

  Temporary Exhibition

• 

  Poetry Afternoon Gathering

• 

  Student Representative Elections

• 

  Students' attempts to recycle

Many efforts were tried to eliminate the violence tendencies of some students, like further screening students that are accepted to the university, and not allowing outsiders to enter the campus unless they have a student card or a special permit, awareness campaigns of the negative effects of student violence, as well as punishing students that cause trouble on campus. But these efforts were met with increasing violence. All of the efforts that were tried where on managerial bases, of what the policy makers thought was a fit solution for the problem. However, public opinion, participation, and social conversations were never considered. Therefore I thought this case study was fit for the subject of the seminar.

• Site Observations
• 

  Area Where student like to gather

• 

  Area where some female students like to gather

• 

  Common area for student violence

• 

  Common area for gender based harassment

Representation of your observations

• you are basically free to use one or a mix of different presentation techniques
• possibilities are: analytical drawings, graphical representations, collages, video clips, comic/graphic novel, written essay/visual essay
• please add any visual material to the gallery, videos can be placed below, you may add text as you like

• Design Synthesis Drawings
• 

  "Place" as defined by students

• 

  Student density

• 

  Pedestrian circulation density

• 

  Green are types

• 

  Services around the site

• 

  Gathering and behavior

Reflection

What could be a starting point for democractically-based change?

• Please add approx. 150 words for each questions

References

Books and Studies:

• Maraqa, Oehring, (2013), Violence at Jordanian Universities, The First Media Company, Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung Amman, found at http://www.kas.de/jordanien/en/publications/38294/.
• Al-Louzi, Farhan, (2009), Students’ Violence at the University of Jordan, Jordan Journal of Social Sciences, Volume 2, No. 2, Pages 288-296. Found at http://journals.ju.edu.jo/JJSS/article/view/848/843.

News and Websites:

• University of Jordan - Official webpage: http://ju.edu.jo/Home.aspx.
• University of Jordan, (2012), Facts and Figures 2011/2012, found at http://ju.edu.jo/FactsAndFigures/Facts%20and%20Figuers.pdf.
• GNRD News, (2015), YYGNRD-Jordan event Let’s Stop University Violence, found at http://www.gnrd.net/seemore.php?id=1277.
• Generations for Peace, (2015), HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein congratulates University of Jordan students and officials tackling violence, found at http://www.generationsforpeace.org/en/hrh-prince-feisal-al-hussein-congratulates-university-of-jordan-students-and-officials-tackling-violence/.

---

About categories: You can add more categories with this tag: "", add your categories