Living Neighbourhoods Project

Start Date: July  2022

End Date: Ongoing

Area of Intervention: Irbid Governorate, Jordan

Partners: Governmental and municipal officials, urbanists, community members, Van Leer Foundation

Project Overview

The Living Neighbourhoods project aims to lay the groundwork for implementing the Urban95 principles in Jordan, specifically in the Irbid governorate. Collaborating with governmental and municipal officials, urbanists, community members, and caregivers, the project focuses on enhancing theoretical and practical knowledge of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in relation to urban planning. The goal is to pilot interventions that introduce accessible child-friendly spaces and activities into vulnerable public urban neighborhoods, ultimately improving the well-being of children and their caregivers. The project also intends to create a learning report and short film detailing the experience, successes, and challenges encountered to aid in further scaling.

Project Goals:

• Support a transformative shift at Irbid municipality regarding the importance of ECD in urban planning.

• Raise awareness about the science and impact of investing in inviting and stimulating urban environments for children and caregivers.

• Assist the municipality and key stakeholders in incorporating data into their decision-making processes through the use of ECD dashboards.

• Develop a pool of professional designers specializing in resourceful and imaginative urban design solutions for young children.

• Build a new social contract between the municipality and caregivers, providing support and resources for caregivers to contribute to the urban environment with child-friendly activities and programming.

Mission:

To increase the utilization of public spaces by caregivers and young children by transforming an urban park in Irbid into a thriving child-friendly space, rich in sensory experiences and public programming. The aim is for this transformed park to serve as a model inspiring mayors and municipalities across Jordan.