Ar Ramtha City

Urban planning and design – data collection and presentation

Done by Assila , Isra, Hayfa, Nusayba

Instructed by: Dr. Ahmad Al-Zoubi
City: Al-Ramtha ‫مدينة الرمثا‬

The City Hall

Background
Country Jordan
Province Irbid Governorate
Municipality established 1927
Government
• Type Municipality
• Mayor Hussein Abu Sheeh
El-Zubi
Population (2010)
• Total city: 96,869
with suburb: 126,000
Area 276 km sq
Coordinates: 32°33′0″N 35°51′0″E
Time zone GMT +2
• Summer (DST) +3 (UTC)
Area code(s) +(962)2
Name Distance (Km)
Ar Ramtha is named after a local
desert plant, Al Ramath Ar Ramtha - Amman 68 km
(Arabic: ‫الرمث‬‎‎.)During its
occupation by the Roman Empire, Ar Ramtha - Arbela 15 km
the city was known as Ramatha.
Ar Ramtha - Irbid 15 km

Ar Ramtha - Al Karak 156 km

Ar Ramtha - Wadi Sir 70 km

Ar Ramtha - `ajlun 35 km

Ar Ramtha - Al `aqabah 350 km

Ar Ramtha - Madaba 96 km
 History
Roman: The Roman Empire utilized Ar Ramtha as a remote hub to
cross-link their colonies. The ruins of buildings and ancient Roman
antiquities have been discovered at different parts of Ar Ramtha.
Islamic: During the Islamic expansion, Ar Ramtha, which was in
the Houran territory, was a port for Muslim scientists crossing
between Syria and Al-Hijaz.
 Economy
Ar Ramtha's economy relies on commerce and import and export
trading. The Al Hassan industrial estate houses several outsourcing
companies supported by foreign shareholders with most of the
products sold to American and European markets.
 Culture
The city is famous for the inherited ritual-poetries recited in
wedding ceremonies and public affairs. One of their dances is
called the Dabke for which people from Ar Ramtha are famous.
Mijwez music originated in Ar Ramtha. Famous artists from Ar
Ramtha are Nayef El-Zubi, Hussein Al-Salman, andMitaab Al-
Saggar.
 Sport
This city has two sports clubs, Al-Ramtha SC, a football
club which is also a member of the premium Jordan
League, and Ittihad Al-Ramtha, another football club which
is a member in the first division in Jordanian Football
League.
 Education
The city is home to the Jordan University of Science and
Technology, which includes a large University hospital that
provides medical treatment in the region, and offers
chances to medical students in the university to intern and
learn during their study years.
Climate

• Mediterranean
• Relatively dry
The city lies close to borderlines of the desert, so climate
close to desert-like climate

• Hot dry in summer, cold rainy in winter

• Annual rain: 150 – 200 ml in Eastern area
250 – 350 ml in Western and Northern area
Ramtha circle Municipality Wahda Street

Landmarks
Bus station
Ramtha circle Municipality Wahda Street

Bus station
 40 m street
20 m street
Wahda street

Passing-through Road to Syria

Ramtha Circle, south Gate Syrian
border

To Syria

To JUST, via
Amman road
City typical elevation –
Wahda Street

• Chaotic random signage

• Size and color not under control
• Products displayed outside, on public space, in stead in
glazed indoor space
City under study

 Environmental issues
 City behavior
 Infrastructure Conditions
- Street condition
- Street furniture
- Quality
- Safety
Environmental Issues

Mechanical Purifying
purifying Station Station at
– take advantage Shallala
from purification Ramtha sport
agriculture
Club

S O
W T
Visual pollution -Lack of
litter utilities
Ikedar Waste dipose
area
Air pollution – burning Valley of Ramtha
garbage waste station
Odor pollution –
sewage leakage in
Possibility of mixing
streets, garbage drinking water with
disposal Shalala station
Noise pollution – Nuclear reactor in
improper land use JUST
City Behavior

Gateway for
Import and Economical
export to/from development
Syria

S O
Downtown overcrowded
W T
with cars
Downtown not Sudden increase
designed for large in population due
vehicles to Syrian
Selling markets miggration
trespass public space
Unacceptable parking
Infrastructure - Quality

- -

S O
Lack of maintenance W T
Lack of street
furniture Sudden increase
Lack of in population due
interconnected to Syrian
infrastructure migration
Lack of consistency
in appearance and
material
Infrastructure - Safety

- -

S O
W T
Unsafe electricity
wiring Unsafe for
children to play in
Burning beside the neighborhood
electricity poles
Signage

- -

S O
W T
Unreadable city
Lack of map – people
consistency in easily get lost
appearance,
Loose economical
size, color tourists
Environmental issues –
a. Purifying Station of Ramtha
 Ramtha
Purification
Station

Ramtha
downtown

4.6 km
distance from
Ramtha
downtown
• Name : Ramtha
Purification Station
• Type: Mechanical
• Environmental
effects: positive

• Water can be used

for irrigation for
near-by
agricultural farms
• Wastes can be
used as natural
fertilizers
Gases are treated so that when
released they will have no odor

Sludge is dried out in the sun,

and has no odor

Maintenance is continuous to
insure that untreated water
does not leak to underground
water
Natural valley as
waste dispose area
‫محطة‪‎‬تنقية‪‎‬الرمثا‪‎‬‬ ‫الوادي‪‎‬طبيعي‪‎-‬مكب‪‎‬نفايات‬
The dispose valley
is used for illegal
disposal of dead
animals, garbage
wastes,
municipality waste

These wastes,
without being buried
and burnt,
continuously cause
very bad odors; the
villagers complain
that these odors
must come from the
purification station,
where in reality it
comes from their
own illegal behavior
Environmental issues –
b. Al Shallalah Purification Station

 Even though the station hasn’t officially been opened

yet, the people of Ramtha and near-by villages are
against its being for fear of errors or mishandling
‎‫غير‬‎‫الربط‬‎‫بسبب‬‎‫الشرب‬‎‫بمياه‬‎‫اختالطها‬‎‫واحتمال‬‎‫الشاللة‬‎‫ محطة‬
‎‫المنزلية‬‎‫للوصالت‬‎‫القانوني‬
 The Purification Station lies near to a green spot which is
considered the only natural area people go for recreation
 However, this station is even more developed than that
of Al-Ramtha for it has a digester that will convert gases
into methane and hence electricity so that the station
will produce its own supply of electricity and give also
for the government.
Environenmental issues –
c. Ikedar Waste Dispose Area
 Ramtha
downtown

Ikedar
Waste
Ikedar
Area Purification
Station

JUST
Even though the prevailing wind is
north west, but in summer times
(hot days) the wind is South East
and carries with it the odors and
smoke gases
‫‪ ‬شب حريق هائل في موقع مكب نفايات األكيدر الواقع في شمال المملكة‬
‫في محافظة إربد شمالي االردن لعدم طمر النفايات بشكل سليم وآمن‬
‫لتكاسل اإلدارة المسؤولة عن صيانة اآلليات التي تقوم بعملية الطمر وهي‬
‫آليات تابعة لمجلس الخدمات المشتركة لمحافظة إربد األمر الذي أدى إلى‬
‫تراكم النفايات بشكل كبير مما جعل أمر السيطرة على الحريق في المكان‬
‫المذكور صعب ويحتاج لجهود كبيرة ‪.‬‬
‫‪ ‬يذكر أن كمية النفايات التي تدخل المكب يومياً تتراوح بين ‪ 900‬الى ‪1200‬‬
‫طن صلبة ‪..‬‬
‫‪8.8.2012‬‬
Environmental issues –
d. Local vegetable market
 Garbage and
waste behind
the market
attract bacteria
and insects that
can be harmful
to the
vegetables and
people
Environmental issues –
e. Ramtha Sport club
Extensive disposal at the deserted
area – health effect on people of
the city
Vegetable selling behind garbage even
though the municipality has allowed it
City behavior
 The first thing one encounters when entering within the
city is spatial inefficiency for vehicles and lack of parking
space
Diagonal parking uses
much more space

Double spacing

Traffic and
vehicle behavior
Vegetable sellings
in the middle of
the road

No care for
cleanness and
appearance
No maintenance and consistent
handling of garbage wastes

Garbage wastes disposed

on any unused land even if
within residential areas
Displaying products
on the street

Displaying goods on
50% of the sidewalk
 Use of full public
sidewalk for private
entrance

Banister around public

space, cannot be used
publically anymore
 Infrastructure – street condition

One-way streets accommodate traffic moving in only one direction. One-way

streets may be designed using the sample cross-sections above, by removing
the median and one direction of travel lanes and increasing lane widths.
Street for human activity only
Infrastructure – street furniture
In Ramtha city
Sidewalk
paving
design

In
Ramtha
City
1. Main unit garbage collector

2. Minor unit garbage collector

 Ramtha city

1. Main unit garbage collector

2. Minor unit garbage collector

Ramtha city
 In
Ramtha,
the
sidewalk is
decorated
with the
trade
products
In Ramtha City
Infrastructure - quality

Loose cables,
interconnecting wiring

Old pole – no maintenance

No care taken for appearance

and causes of climatic
conditions
No monotony and
uniformity in materials

• No material maintenance
• Low quality of materials
Water piping open to
public sidewalk
Sanctity of
sidewalk
destroyed

Beton shear in
street due to
low quality and
maintenance
Burning of untreated
sidewalk

Unsafe obstacles
Infrastructure - safety
Wires should be safely
hidden instead of right
above walkers heads