Impact of Industrial Parks on Urban and Regional Development, A Case Study of Jordan
| Abstract | |
| Impact of Industrial Parks on Urban and Regional Development A Case Study of Jordan | |
| Dipl.- Eng. Murad Kalaldeh | |
| Dissertation Advisor: | Professor Dipl.-Eng. Dr. Techn. Joost Meuwissen |
| Second Evaluator: | Professor Dr. Mag. Wilfried Schönbäck |
| Industrial Parks are important projects that can influence the formation of urban fabric. According to the plan, the interaction between the workplace and the place of residence can influence urban and regional development. Jordan was chosen to fulfill this undertaking using the case-study method. Theoretical research on achieving sustainable development through national and regional planning has paved the way for studying industrial parks as instruments that facilitate economic impulses. A detailed description of Jordan’s existing and planned industrial parks has established the basis for analyzing their impact on urban localities, provinces, and regions. Recent maps developed from aerial photos make possible the observation of urban growth towards the existing industrial parks as gravitation poles. For further analysis, a quantitative model for the calculation of the possible number of industrial parks that can employ the planned industrial labor in each province was constructed. To get empirical figures for the estimated and planned industrial labor force for each province and locality, the national population census was used to calculate the old population to work. Thus, the number planned as an industrial labor supply was calculated with the help of a gravitation model to obtain the number of the residual planned industrial labor supply. This result was reflected in a surplus or a shortage in the industrial labor supply. It was expressed as a percentage of the labor employed in the industrial park that an existing or planned park can employ. In the case of a surplus, this ratio demonstrates the number of additional industrial parks similar to the existing or planned ones needed in each province. Modifications in the input fields can help in decision-making concerning the resizing or relocation of the park. The developed ranking model is a computer-based calculation model that can act as an expert decision system and can be adapted for other projects such as schools, hospitals, hotels, etc. It has been found that industrial parks can act as gravitation poles and influence urban and regional development. Furthermore, they can be used as instruments to approach equilibrium between regions, thus bringing about a fair and balanced distribution of investments and population and curbing migration from the countryside to the big cities. The findings regarding Jordan as a case-study country provide evidence that the decentralization policy of the existing and planned industrial parks will positively influence that country’s urban and regional development. Furthermore, it will lead to the expansion of the prevailing north-south axis eastwards and divert pressure from the center to the provincial localities. Finally, the author has formulated design-related recommendations and recommendations addressed to investors and public authorities. | |
