Al Nour Skatepark, Jordan
Al Nour skatepark was constructed as 7Hills’ second skatepark in Amman. The first was built in 2014 in Downtown and serves young people from all different backgrounds reflecting Amman as a city of migration and refuge in the SWANA region. Al Nour was 7Hills’ second park built in Qweismeh District of Amman; industrial and on the peripherals of an already socioeconomically marginalised quarter of the city; watching the sunset over a curing skatepark and fumes of an industriously resilient community was a sight to be hold.
Amman is a confounding city; for a metropole that serves as a relative beacon of stability in a region of constant geopolitical flux, recent urbanisation patterns serve a wealthy elite whilst disregarding a population affected by instability, occupation and war. Within this context 7Hills’ skateparks reflect an urban commons or what Mohammed Zakaria calls “pocket parks” - grassroots community spaces driven by DIY ethos that is shaped by the people in which it serves. Al Nour Skatepark was constructed on public land in partnership with Greater Amman Council. It was interesting witnessing the relationships and tensions between stakeholders which seemed to reflect wider issues in Amman as a city influenced by so much regional instability and outsider-development work.