Abdali Urban Regeneration Project A POWER OF PLACE

LARA FARAH- GJU

CONTENT 1 THE NOTION OF POWER OF PLACE (BIOPOLITICS)

2 THE PLANNING SCHEME IN JORDAN

3 THE ABDALI NARRATIVE

- LAND OWNERSHIP - THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS - THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE - WHERE ARE WE NOW??

4 AN EPILOGUE

MICHEL FOUCAULT AND BIOPOLITICS • DEVELOPED THE CONCEPT IN 1975 • HE SUGGESTS THAT MODERN POLITICS (SINCE THE 18TH CENTURY)

TAKES CONTROL OF LIFE AND WHAT GOES AROUND US THROUGH REGULATING THE PERSON RATHER THAN DISCIPLINING HIM.

• THIS IS ENSURED THROUGH PRACTICES OF PREDICTING EVENTS BY OBSERVATION AND SECURITY MECHANISMS.

• NEW POLITICAL TECHNOLOGY WHICH USES REGULATORY RATHER THAN DISCIPLINARY MECHANISMS TO CONTROL A GLOBAL MASS.

• EXAMPLES: RATIO OF BIRTHS TO DEATHS, THE RATE OF REPRODUCTION, THE FERTILITY OF A POPULATION, ETC.

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OTHER THEORIES • GIORGIO AGAMBEN IN 1995 HAS CRITICIZED FOUCAULT’S WORK

• HE SUGGESTS THAT OUR LIVES ARE PART OF A SOVEREIGN POLITICS

AND POLITICAL LIFE DOES NOT REPLACE OUR LIVES, RATHER, SOVEREIGNTY CREATES OUR LIVES TO BE SUBJECT TO THE LAW.

• MODERN BIOPOLITICS HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED BUT ONLY APPEARED IN THE MODERN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

• OUR LIVES ARE HOLDERS OF RIGHTS AND ONLY A SURFACE OF SOVEREIGN POWER IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY.

• SOVEREIGNTY HAS THE RIGHT TO DECIDE A STATE OF EMERGENCY…THIS CREATES THE BIOPOLITICS.

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CONCLUSION • FOR AGAMBEN, SOVEREIGNTY DETERMINES THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN POWER AND LAW.

• FOR FOUCAULT, SOVEREIGNTY DETERMINES THE LEGAL AND NON-LEGAL, DISCIPLINARY AND REGULATIVE PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES.

• JUDITH BUTLER IN 2004, ON THE OTHER HAND, DEVELOPS AN ACCOUNT WHICH SUGGESTS THT CONTEMPORARY POWER RELATIONS ARE UNDER CONSTANT CONDITIONS OF PERMANENT EMERGENCY.

• Formal structures, institutions, public discourses and practices are

co-opted, diverted and inverted for the operations of power.

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CONCLUSION • SOVEREIGNTY IS EMBODIED IN BIOPOLITICS • CARRIED OUT BY THE GOVERNANCE • Applies laws and decisions • Has the right to determine a case of abnormality • JUSTIFICATION : PUBLIC INTEREST AND SECURITY

• BUT WHAT IS A GOVERNANCE?

THE STRUCTURE OF A STATE WHICH DETERMINES THE STATE’S INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, THE PROCESS FOR FORMULATING

POLICY, DECISION MAKING, IMPLEMENTATION, INFORMATION FLOWS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE OVERALL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT” (WORLD BANK 1989)

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GOOD GOVERNANCE?

GOOD URBAN GOVERNANCE

URBAN POLICIES AND STRATEGIES

LOCAL PARTICIPATION

PARTNERSHIP

INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF URBAN PRACTICES

SUSTAINABLE CITY

1. THE STATE’S INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

2. THE PROCESS FOR FORMULATING POLICY

3. DECISION MAKING

4. IMPLEMENTATION

5. INFORMATION FLOWS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT

6. THE OVERALL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT

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INVESTEMENT-DRIVEN PLANNING SCHEMES • SURPLUS OIL REVENUES OF THE GULF HAVE FOUND ITS WAY IN

URBAN RESTRUCTURING PROJECTS, PRIVATIZATION OF SECTORS, AND PILOT PROJECTS.

• NEOLIBERAL PLANNING APPROACHES HAVE EMERGED.

• Neoliberalism is a political philosophy which supports economic

liberalizations, free trade and open markets, privatization, deregulation, and enhancing the role of the private sector in modern society

• THIS HAS RESULTED IN:

1. Increasing emergence of private-public corporations which lead the planning and economic schemes in Jordan- Mawared, ASEZA…

2. State and public efforts towards creating a sustainable investments drives and atmosphere- incentives, tax exemptions…

3. Exclusive urban restructuring targeting the elite- Abdali, gated communities, high end business districts

4. Empowerment of multinational corporates in the decision-making

ABDALI URBAN REGENERATION PROJECT

TIMELINE 2004- up to this day

INITIATIVE Abdali Military Camp (the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) Headquarters and the General Intelligence Department) was relocated and allowed for a new transformation of the area. The state had announced for investment invitations.

GOAL An urban generation project aiming to create a new vibrant down town of Amman

PARTNERSHIP National Resource Investment and Development Company (Mawared) ‘independent governmental institution’ Horizon International for Development ‘investor’ created the Abdali Investment and Development Psc. in 2004 This joint venture was further enlarged when United Real Estate Company - Jordan, under the group of Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO) in 2007 HOK then Laceco International ‘planning body’

AREAS 384,000 m² land BUA 1.8 million m²

FACILITIES Residential, offices, hotels , retail and parks

BUDGET 5 billion USD

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ABDALI URBAN REGENERATION PROJECT 1 THE NOTION OF POWER OF PLACE 2 THE PLANNING SCHEME IN JORDAN 3 THE ABDALI NARRATIVE - LAND OWNERSHIP - THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS - THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE 4 WHERE ARE WE NOW?

LOCAL VS. FOREIGN APPROCHES

HOR- ALTERNATIVE 1

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LOCAL VS. FOREIGN APPROCHES

HOR- ALTERNATIVE 2

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LOCAL VS. FOREIGN APPROCHES

LACECO

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LOCAL VS. FOREIGN APPROCHES

SOLIDERE- BEIRUT

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LOCAL VS. FOREIGN APPROACHES

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ACQUISITION OF LANDS FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT

Lands were either the property of the Armed Forces or privately owned. (GAM) put a “hold” on all the land to make it difficult to the landlords to sell unless they are willing to sell it for the investors. Shortly, these holds was transferred into acquisition.

Justification: Public interest. to provide proper vehicular access in the area.

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ACQUISITION OF LANDS FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT

The questions are: • Were people forced to sell or otherwise their lands

will be acquired? • Did they sell their lands for fair amounts? • What happened to the less empowered?

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INVESTMENT-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING PROCESS

• Mawared was created as the investment body of the Armed

Forces assets and properties. • The Abdali company’s CEO represents ‘Mawared’ and the

chairman represents ‘Saudi Oger’. • Mawared regulates and approves the designs and technical

schemes of the project. • Lacico had produced the policies and buildings regulations

which were tailor-made to the project (to meet the interests of who?

But who makes the big decisions? Abdali Company? • Lands acquisitions • The cultural center replacement • Green areas minimizing • Urban and building regulations and schemes?

What about the local participation?

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THE NEW DOWNTOWN OF AMMAN Amman’s Abdali is promoted by Mawared’s brochures, website, short videos and other promotional materials as the “New Downtown for Amman”. More recently, due to public criticism, the slogan was changed to “The New Business District”.

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PROJECT MARKETING

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STATUS QUO • The Abdali project has caused the displacement of the nearby Abdali transport terminal. • The project will also present competition to the existing downtown, which is gradually disintegrating and is already suffering from a lack of economic vitality. • However, is it presenting a paradigm for building the capacities of the local work force?

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CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES • What happens when corruption leaks in?? •Is phase two validated to be launched?? • Would the lower social status be excluded?? • Who will be responsible of the maintenance and public service works? • Is there an umbrella body regulating all this???

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THANK YOU!