March 4th, 2010
Walking Amman
By Dylan Reid // 2 Comments
Talk about putting Toronto's walking issues in perspective -- Toronto cycling activist Hannah Evans recently moved to Amman, Jordan to work, and posted this fascinating blog post about walking in that city. She begins:
When I first came here, I was warned off walking by a number of people: no one walks, it just isn't done, it isn't safe after dark, it isn't safe for a woman alone. My first day on the job at the Ministry, a driver was sent to pick me up to ferry me safely to work. It was then that I realized that the Ministry is about 4 blocks from my apartment - about 6 minutes door to door on foot. It is quite literally faster to walk than to drive.
Apparently, sidewalks are the responsibility of individual property owners, and they interpret this responsibility in widely varying ways, such as using it as a place to plant topiary, as in the photo above. (I believe that, when Toronto was first founded, it was the responsibility of property owners to create the road in front of their property. Toronto has some remnant of this concept in the requirement that property owners in many parts of the city have to clear their adjacent sidewalks of snow).
However, some people in Amman are trying to do something about it and are organizing group walks in the city. Last week, the New York Times published an article about the efforts by the city and its citizens to create more walking-friendly streets, and how significant such efforts can be.
Thank you to Charles O'Hara for bringing these links to my attention.
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What I found the most shocking about spending a week in Amman, was how 'new' the city was. Most of the growth has been post World War II, and because of that it is very car oriented. It's stark contrast to neighbouring capitals such as Jerusalem or Damascus.
Regardless, Amman is still gritty for the most part. And that's what I appreciated the most.
During a brief visit to Amman, while walking in the old city (with sidewalks crowded with pedestrians), you still took your life in your hands crossing the streets. I remember one crossing in particular, it was shock and awe to find ourselves alive on the opposite side of the streets, hearts pounding, and an entire cafe of people were laughing at the crazy tourists taking their lives in their hands. Though we had just stopped previously for tea on the opposite side of the street, we ended up taking a second rest in the cafe, just to gather ourselves. It was quite an experience.
Comment by Bob Krawczyk
March 5, 2010 | 8:45 am