Amman, Nov. 29 (Petra) – The newly launched Amra City project is emerging as a landmark opportunity to apply cutting-edge urban planning technologies, integrating smart networks, digital infrastructure, e-governance, youth empowerment, and sustainable urban design, according to experts in engineering technology, planning, and infrastructure.

Specialists told Petra that this integrated vision positions the city to become a Jordanian and regional model for smart, sustainable urban development one that could serve as a reference across the Middle East.

Shaker Khleif, an engineer and specialist in engineering technology applications, said the success of Amra City rests on adopting a smart electrical grid from day one, establishing a flexible and efficient backbone for energy management.

He noted that the project will follow a hybrid energy model combining large-scale solar farms, rooftop solar panels, and diverse renewable sources to ensure supply sustainability and cut emissions.

Khleif added that the city’s digital backbone fiber optics, Internet-of-Things networks, centralized data management, and digital twinning will function as its neural system. A dedicated data authority, he said, is essential to manage information and enforce strict privacy and cybersecurity standards.

He also highlighted the importance of connecting the new city early to Bus Rapid Transit routes as the foundation of an integrated, smart, multimodal transport network featuring smart traffic control, sensors, cameras, and control centers, alongside shared-mobility zones and electric-vehicle charging hubs in preparation for autonomous transport.

Khleif emphasized the need for digital governance that ensures continuity across government cycles, proposing a "Digital Amra Charter" to codify transparency, citizen participation, and data-driven decision-making, supported by a chief data officer overseeing implementation.

He stressed that the youth advisory council should act as a driver of innovation through open innovation programs, participatory budgeting, and urban entrepreneurship while securing representation on technical committees.

Urban planning and sustainability expert Lina Shabib said affordable housing for young people and the middle class requires allocating land parcels of varying densities along mass-transit corridors, with a set share of affordable units in major developments and incentives for developers.

She said the city is expected to offer diverse housing options, including small and mid-size apartments, youth housing, long-term rentals, and gradual ownership through subsidized financing schemes.

Shabib underscored the importance of predetermined land-use planning to achieve a balanced mix of residential, commercial, industrial, and tourism zones, aligning infrastructure capacity with projected demand while protecting green spaces and environmental corridors.

Infrastructure and building-systems specialist Fawzi Massad said the first phase of Amra City represents the project’s structural cornerstone, incorporating long-life strategic facilities and essential services that will enable the city to serve its population through 2050 and beyond.

Massad said this initial phase forms the foundation of a fully planned urban system an advantage over older cities that expanded unevenly under social, economic, and political pressures.

A master-planned city, he explained, allows legislation to precede construction, transport networks to be designed ahead of congestion, and urban growth to follow sustainability and smart-city principles resulting in an efficient, adaptable urban environment aligned with green-economy goals.

He noted that early phases will attract a targeted population primarily young people through job opportunities in technical, service, and administrative fields that will form the city’s economic backbone. Population growth, he added, will be calibrated to match infrastructure capacity and maintain service quality.

Massad said government ownership of large land areas eliminates constraints faced by major cities, allowing affordable land provision for youth, flexible modern housing models, and diverse unit types, supported by accessible financing schemes.

He stressed the need for careful planning to keep operational costs manageable, tailor project scale to actual demand, and design transport systems in parallel with early development, ensuring long-term financial and operational sustainability.

Massad underscored the importance of aligning major projects with the city’s smart identity and enforcing strict financial and environmental standards so Amra City becomes a leading regional example of balanced investment, sustainability, and quality of life.

//Petra// AF

29/11/2025 21:32:25