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Sustainable framework for resource and ecological conservation development
Sasaki’s detailed master plan for the Jordan Dead Sea Development Zone - which was awarded a National Honor Award at the recent AIA convention in Washington DC - encompasses 40 sq km of land along the north and east coast of the Dead Sea.
Over the past 15 years, the Kingdom of Jordan has focused on a balanced approach toward development and preservation in order to capitalise on increased tourism and to provide improvements to local existing communities. Sasaki was engaged to establish a detailed master plan as a sustainable framework for existing committed lands, future development parcels, infrastructure provisions, and natural resources protection.
Sasaki’s plan offers a comprehensive and site-specific approach to the social, economic, and environmental sustainability issues facing this stunning setting. The plan lays out a vision and blueprint for fostering a dynamic, robust, and sustainable tourism-based economy at the Dead Sea that will become a source of pride and revenue for the Kingdom and set the highest standard for sustainable development and innovative urban design. The plan establishes a balanced approach between development and conservation of the Dead Sea's precious resources while supporting social infrastructure for nearby existing communities.
The first steps in framing the master plan included determining net usable land - identifying privately held land not within the purview of the development authority, and setting aside ecologically sensitive land for conservation. The resulting developable land inventory became the basis for strategic interventions and development proposals.
Comprehensive design guidelines, a detailed infrastructure report, and an extensive market study provide the Government of Jordan with tools to attract investment and steer future development in accordance with the plan. Sasaki also produced a Strategic Environmental Assessment, the first of its kind and scope in Jordan, for informing sustainability strategies incorporated in the plan at multiple scales.
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