Gentrification in Jordan: The Abdali Redevelopment Project as a Case Study

This paper contributes to the geography of gentrification studies in the Middle East by examining how gentrification develops locally in the Abdali district of Amman. In addition, it assists in comprehending the local drivers of gentrification as one of the consequences of the Abdali redevelopment project in Amman’s downtown district. The project was initiated in 2003 on land owned by the government that was initially a military base (brownfield) and is considered a symbol of neoliberalism in Amman. Furthermore, the site embodies the most extensive single plot of land within Amman available for high-end mixed-use and real estate development by relying on the public–private partnership, considering the private sector the main engine for growth. This paper employed a mixed methods approach by integrating spatial maps and quantitative contextual indicators based on demographic and economic census data to investigate the research’s questions. The findings indicate that the project affected the residential and commercial fabric of the bordering neighborhoods in terms of land-use change, displacement of residents, property value increase, and traffic problems. Nonetheless, the lack of data on a sufficiently granular temporal and spatial scale and empirical evidence of displacement in the analyzed neighborhoods was a limitation of this study. Alternately, the researcher will employ triangulation of quantitative, spatial maps, and qualitative data to identify the patterns and processes of displacement in future research.