Abstract
First paragraph: There is a huge mall overflowing with high-ticket brands right opposite my house, in one of the busiest neighborhoods of Amman, the capital of Jordan. It sits exactly where, eight years ago, I helped an old farmer harvest his wheat field. But this is not an unusual event in Amman. Less than a mile away, in the posh neighborhood of Abdoun, there is a carefully tended field of cauliflowers opposite one of the European embassies. A couple of miles away, in the valley behind the U.S. Embassy, a flock of sheep grazes the barren steppe.
Highlights
Amman, like many metropoles of the Developing World, is in full expansion
Relics of farmland end up locked between high rises, villas, and malls. These are temporary spaces, and their geographic location is guided by real estate speculation rather than by planning and design
While these lands continue to contribute to the local food system, they shrink every year as the city continues its ruthless takeover of the rural landscape and real estate prices continue to rise in synchronicity with buildings and towers
Summary
Like many metropoles of the Developing World, is in full expansion. And as elsewhere, this expansion is taking place over agricultural lands. These are temporary spaces, and their geographic location is guided by real estate speculation rather than by planning and design. While these lands continue to contribute to the local food system, they shrink every year as the city continues its ruthless takeover of the rural landscape and real estate prices continue to rise in synchronicity with buildings and towers.
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